Stars on my wounds

by Love_less_92

Summary:

Damaged 15-year-old girl is accepted to the most prestigious school in all of Japan. She sees her stay at Hope's Peak Academy as an only escape from her previous life. However she has no idea what will really happen to her in the academy, or more precisely, who will happend.
The question is, will this person prove to be her salvation, or will she prove to be the greatest curse for this person?

Chapter 1: Prologue

Even though two months had passed, she still vividly remembered the piercing pain, floating in the air repulsive smell of alcohol, his rapid breathing and the darkness.

Inside her, there was still a sense of emptiness.

At first it seemed that she had managed to escape from this nightmare, yet the escape was only a pretence. Her mind, even for a moment, would not allow her to forget what had happened over the years. She felt as if she had been marked and that this stigma would accompany her until her death.

She wanted to die so badly, but she was too weak to take her own life. Now all she had to do was just exist. Wear a mask and hope that over time she will become stronger. Stronger enough to finally end this, and until she doesn't, she will play her part.

After all, that's what she came here for...

Notes:

Hello, thank you for reading my work .
I apologize in advance for any mistakes, English is not my native language.
The story you just came across has been in my head for years, but I have never been brave enough to share it publicly. It is certainly very long and detailed. I have no idea how many chapters it will contain.
I have been a fan of Danganronpa for at least 10 years and have been intrigued by Chihiro's character since the beginning of my adventure with the fandom. I think he is a very complex character who has a lot to offer to the audience.
Years ago, I had an idea of creating a female character who will be both a counterweight and a complement to his personality. Of course, I could not forget that we are in the universe of Danganronpa. The character I have created is certainly characterised by tragedy.
I warn you in advance that the story is very drastic and will contain themes aimed at the mature reader. However, I hope that the story will also be able to bring sense of hope. It will show the struggle with your weaknesses, self-acceptance, the healing process, the essence of friendship and of course love, because that’s the main theme of this story after all.
I'm open to any suggestions. I haven't decided yet how often I'll publish chapters. I think it also depends on the later popularity of this work. At this point, I will declare 1 chapter every 1-2 weeks.
Stay safe, bye bye :)

Chapter 2: Chapter 1

A huge complex of buildings appeared before her eyes. Hope's Peak Academy, called by many the dream school. Plenty of parents "train" their children from an early age so that they have a chance to get into a special class later. Unfortunately, for most, acceptance to a special class is almost impossible..

Each year, 16 students are accepted to the school. They have to show extraordinary skills in some field. This field is not defined and theoretically can be anything, but it is the committee that ultimately decides which talents will be accepted in a given year after reviewing all the applications.

Those who are not accepted instead have the opportunity to be accepted to a paid reserve class, located in one of the school's side buildings. In this case, the student's skills are not important. All it takes is paying the tuition fee and the irreproachable image of a potential candidate. Although the classes certainly are different in prestige, many choose to do so in the hope of the bright future the institution promises.

It was astonishing to her that she was the one who joined this year's group of lucky special kids. She should feel special, but in fact, all she felt was that she took someone's place. Someone who definitely deserved it more then her.

As soon as she entered the main building, she heard the noise and laughter of the academy's students coming from the corridor. The first thing that caught her eye were the uniforms that the academy representatives were wearing. They were not extravagant; on the contrary, they were characterized by simplicity. A white shirt, a brown jacket and trousers or skirt in the same color. The only accent was the red tie or ribbon on the collar of each of the students. No one stood out from the crowd.

The knowledge that she would not be conspicuous gave her a sense of relief. She wanted to remain anonymous as much as possible. The building was very bright. Large windows provided a lot of light in the room, and bright walls enhanced this effect even more. There were large candelabras on the ceiling, which further illuminated the space.

She had the impression that the search for the school secretary was taking ages. The throng of loud sounds kept ringing in her ears, and the excessive light began to make her feel uncomfortable.

The acceptance letter she received certainly contained instructions for newly admitted students and an attached map of the entire building. The only pity was that the document was lost by her at the very beginning of the trip to Tokyo. Organisation and focus were not her strong points. For as long as she can remember, she was a little skittish and  carefree. Later events only exacerbated this, leading to complete distraction and constant forgetfulness. It is also possible that now it didn’t matter to her what was going on around her.

When she finally managed to get to the school secretary, she received a detailed map of the entire school, a sheet with basic information needed for her stay at the academy, three sets of uniform, an electronic badge with ID and a key to the room with a keychain with number 10 attached to it.

Among other things, it was possible to learn from the sheet that as of today, she is a student of class number 78, whose supervising teacher is Ono Akira, a graduate of the academy. She graduated from the school with the title of Ultimate Travel Agent.

It turned out that her room is on the 10th floor and as requested she was given a single room. An additional advantage was the fact that the rooms were soundproofed.

Nothing at the time indicated that her stay here would be in jeopardy. Her paperwork did not arouse any suspicion in the office and everything seemed to be tailored to her needs.

The only problem turned out to be a matter of money. Each student accepted to the academy is entitled to a bonus of 30,000 yen a month. This amount is intended to provide food for breakfast and dinner, and can be used for other needs, such as spending free time. Moreover, if a student shows that they need an object to be used to develop their skills in the field in which they were accepted, they have the right to apply for funding from the academy.

She never imagined that she would be worried about money, let alone the lack of it. In her former life, it was the only thing she had in abundance. There was luxury in her home. The fridge was full of food. It didn't matter to her at the time. Now she can't even remember when she ate anything, let alone the last normal meal she had.

The bonus was supposed to be her only hope of filling her stomach today, and it turned out that it would be granted to her tomorrow at a welcome meeting with her teacher. She had no choice but to deal with another day of hunger.

With the map, the way to the room did not cause her any difficulty. From the main building, she had to head towards the building connector that led to the dormitory. There was an elevator there.

The diagram indicated that the building was just as big as the previous one. This was most likely due to the fact that on its first levels there were various facilities for the students of the institution, and only from level 10 were the living quarters.

At this point, however, it was not in her mind to analyse what the school offered to the students in the dormitory, the only thing she wished for was to finally get to her room and use the normal bathroom. Recently, she had to take care of hygiene in the bathrooms at gas stations. She hurriedly got into the elevator, where fortunately she found no one, and went to her floor.

She found herself in a small room now. From two opposite sides, she saw the door. According to the description she received, one led to the female living area and the other to the male one. In order to get to her section, she had to apply an electronic ID with a chip to the door lock.

The corridor she entered was much larger than the transitional room where the elevator was, but after previous experiences she had certainly expected a place where it will be harder to find her room. After walking just a few steps, she could see the door with the number 10. The lock in them worked as it had in the previous ones. Probably the key was given out just in case, and in fact it was the ID card that allowed access to specific spaces in the academy.

When she heard the sound of the lock opening, she pulled the handle. However, she did not see the emptiness in the room that she was waiting for.

Chapter 3: Chapter 2

Not knowing why in her room, on one of the beds sat a girl. She had medium length, brown hair, a slight posture and a porcelain complexion. She seemed equally surprised by her sudden intrusion into the room.

The more she looked at her, the less certain she was about her gender. True, she would have described her outfit as ladylike. The green sweater and gray knee-length skirt certainly had a girlish character, but the facial features, the jaw structure or the arms themselves seemed to deviate somewhat from the standard anatomy of the average woman.

She decided not to think deeply about it. In fact, she wasn't even interested in it. She didn't like it when others meddle in her affairs, so why would she do that to another person? Plus, she didn't want to be rude. Good manners were one of the few positive things she learned at home.

"Have I mistaken the rooms?" she decided to break the silence. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

She was convinced that it was her fault. She must have misread something and barged into the room. Fatigue must have set her off. But on the other hand, her ID had opened the lock on the door. It would have been strange if she had had access to someone else's room. She turned back to the front door, the number was correct. She put her ID on the lock and again heard the characteristic sound of the mechanism opening. "If the door opens, it turns out I wasn't wrong. Did you manage to open them with your ID, too?” she looked back at the girl sitting on the bed.

"I did. I also got a key that opens that door. In the secretarial office, they told me that it was my room. Number 10, on the 10th floor, I even thought it was a pretty convenient combination, easy to remember," she replied insecurely, ending her statement with a shy smile.

Her voice sounded different from what she had expected. It was certainly lower. There was something about it that she couldn't quite define. Because she was a musician, she probably paid more attention to such things than others.

"That means there's been an error in secretarial office. Did they mention a potential roommate to you?"

"I was told I would be alone," her voice quivered, and her speech was so quiet it could even be described as a whisper. She looked terrified and confused.

"If so, someone has screwed up the paperwork. That's what we're going to do, I'm going to go to the secretarial office and try to explain the situation. If I find out anything, I'll let you know."

She didn't want to talk to her anymore. It was obvious that the social situation was quite a challenge for her. There was no point in asking more questions anyway. The sooner she settled the matter, the sooner she could rest in her desired solitude.

She was about to leave when she realised she hadn't asked something very important. It would be nice to know who else is affected by this situation.

"I almost forgot, what's your name?" she asked.

“Fujisaki...Fujisaki Chihiro...” she replied nervously. She definitely looked like she was afraid of something.

---

The secretarial office, this time, was crowded. Previously, she managed to get through the formalities in just a few minutes, and now it took her at least twenty to stand in the queue alone.

For her, this was the worst thing that could have happened today. She always kept a good distance from other people. However, the current circumstances made it impossible for her to do so. The waiting room in front of the secretarial office itself was very small, so all the waiting students were squeezed like sardines in a can just to fit in. Of course, the wait was not without random poking from other students.. She hated being touched. Nervously, she began to clench her right hand. The slight pain piercing her hand calmed her down a bit. Thank goodness she had enough space around her to stand sideway. She felt that if there was someone standing right behind her back, she might have fainted. When her turn finally came, she breathed a sigh of relief.She wasn’t sure how much longer she could survive in these terrible conditions.

"Good morning. I was picking up my ID today, and there was a mistake. I had been assigned to the wrong room. I received information that I would be accommodated alone, but it turned out that another person had been allocated to the same room. Chihiro Fujisaki, I suppose. I would like the situation to be clarified," she said calmly, but at the same time bluntly, placing her ID on the desk.

She decided to keep her nerves to herself. There were times when she was too impulsive and did not control her anger. However, she wanted to clarify the matter without drawing undue attention to herself. So that no one would remember her in a particular way. Her thoughts were interrupted by woman's clatter of the keys on the keyboard who sat behind the desk.

"In fact, there was a mistake. You were probably assigned to one room, because both of your applications included a request for a one-person room. This year it was room number 10 that was supposed to serve as single accommodation. The rest one-bed rooms are already occupied by older classes.  Although written acceptance Fujisaki-san was quicker, considering the location of the room and  the possibility of sending her to another section, you have priority in staying in assigned lodging. I would just ask that you tell her to report to me where I'll give her further instructions."

The problem was solved. She got what she wanted. She could forget about the situation and come back to her own business.

So why couldn't she move?

"As I understand it, there's only one single room. Where in this case Fujisaki-san will be moved?"

She couldn't understand why it was her request that was being considered. She didn't deserve to take away this innocent girl's room. Besides Fujisaki-san was the first to file her paperwork.

Suddenly, it hit her. Location of the room, another section...Had her doubts been confirmed?

"There was a lot of confusion this year, 17 students were accepted instead of 16. The Commission noticed this error after sending letters of acceptance and decided to increase the number of places as an exception. According to common custom Fujisaki-san will be assigned to a person of your year, which as a result of this mistake has not yet received a roommate." Her tone did not express the slightest concern about the situation, and her eyes did not leave the computer screen for a moment.

"I still don't understand why she's being moved and not me. You said her application was the first one. I think it's unfair. Is there really no other way to find some other solution to keep everyone happy?" Her voice trembled.

She didn't want to complicate the girl's life just because she made the decision so late to come here in the first place. If, as she thought, she would end up in the men's section, she would surely be devastated. She wasn't sure why she cared so much. Perhaps she saw herself in Fujisaki-san. Lost and just trying to survive in the role she had imposed on herself.

"As I mentioned, Fujisaki-san's case is..."she hesitated, "...a bit special. I don't have the option of assigning you to a second spare room. Unfortunately, I cannot give you any more information. I will discuss the other details privately with Fujisaki-san." Her gaze from the computer screen wandered toward the door, clearly suggesting that she should make her peace with it.

She knew she should just go out and not interfere in other people's affairs. No one ever felt sorry for her. She could only rely on herself. Fujisaki-san will also have to take care of herself...

She walked toward the door and grabbed the handle. But she was unable to pull it.

Without prior thought she turned back to the woman sitting behind the desk.

"Is there any way we can share a room together?"

She was astonished by what she had just proposed. She didn't think it through. She wasn't able to share a room with anyone. No matter how good an actress she was or how good claimed to be, she couldn't hide all of her weaknesses. Again, she behaved impulsively.

"I don’t understand," she looked confused, "didn’t you want to be alone in the room?"

It gave her a chance to get out of it. She struggled with her thoughts.The guilt, however, did not stop. Despite a series of doubts, she was unable to leave the girl in a dot.

"Yes, but given the current situation, I am able to accept the current allocation. In my opinion, it is the fairest solution." The good thing was that she sounded at least convincing.

Continuing to do so without giving the impression of decisiveness would be embarrassing. After all, she didn't want her pride to suffer. Her tactic in dealing with social situations was to exude confidence. Of course, this is only an illusion of self-confidence, because she didn't have the real one at all.

"I'm not sure that such an alternative is possible. As I've said many times, the circumstances are unique and you don't realise all the circumstances that accompany this situation. Maybe it will be better..."

"I think I am fully aware of what this case is about. It doesn't bother me at all and I would rather have Fujisaki-san stay with me in the women's section rather than moved to the second one," she interrupted the woman in half a word.

She hoped she wasn't wrong and, that the object of the uniqueness of these events is Fujisaki-san's biological sex  and not something completely different. She would have looked foolish and at the same time stopped trusting her intuition.

---

She was told to wait. The room erupted again with clatter of the keys on the keyboard. It lasted relatively briefly. Then a woman made a two more calls.

As she waited for events to unfold, another thought race began in her head. Her subconscious created thousands of scenarios, and in none of them did she manage to mask what she had to hide. She cursed herself. She glanced at her bloodied right hand. Why couldn't she just be normal?

"There are no contraindications for you to become roommates. All the formalities have been done. All I need is your parents' signature on this declaration. This is your agreement to co-share the room. The same goes for Fujisaki-san. On your way to the room, you can provide it to her. It is important that you provide these consents as soon as possible."

Hearing those words made her freeze. Her whole body went through a cold shiver, and her vision began to blur. Her heart began to beat like crazy. At that point, she wondered why she was doing it. Because of her own stupidity, she was going to be exposed. Some stranger turned out to be more important than looking after her own safety...

"I'm an orphan," she said quietly. She decided to stay in the role. All is not lost. She just needs to stay calm and trust in her abilities. "That should be highlighted in my papers. I've been informed that until I turn 18, the school is looking after me," she added after a momentary pause. The slip was intentional to add a bit of drama to the whole statement.

"I'm sorry, I've only just noticed the annotation. My condolences," she was obviously embarrassed. She was certainly hoping for an answer, but when it didn’t come, she decided to break her silence. "It just needs your signature, at this point," she handed her pen and pointed her finger at the place on the declaration where she was supposed to sign.

When the ink of the pen was on the sheet and the consent landed back in the women's hands, she felt a sense of peace.

It was the first time she had signed in this way. But it seemed so natural to her. As if she had done it at least hundred of time...

As she left the secretarial office, she noticed the grimace on the faces of some of the students and heard a quiet sigh of impatience. It probably had something to do with how much time she spent in the room. She also didn't expect it to take so long. However, when she entered the secretarial office, she had a completely different idea of how to solve the case she came here with.

On the way to her room, she hoped that maybe Fujisaki-san wouldn't be interested in sharing a room with her. In that case, she would have no remorse and would be able to plunge into her solitude as she had planned from the start...

Chapter 4: Chapter 3

This time she decided to knock on the door. She did not want, as before, to break into the room without warning. Although she assumed that the girl expected her to return she decided that it was the most sensible thing she could do. It was not long before the door opened and a low figure of Fujisaki-san with a worried expression could be seen in the doorway. Without a word, she moved slightly, making room in the passageway, signaling that she could enter.

When she first found herself in the room, she was so confused that she did not even have time to look around. The room seemed quite small for a double. In front of the door, on opposite sides of the room were two single beds. Despite the clear purpose for one person, they were quite large. They took up quite a lot of space. Next to each of them was a small cabinet, above which were placed night lights on the wall. Just next to the cabinets were two wardrobes that were divided by a large rectangular window. On both the left and right sides was a desk to which a chair was sliding, and next to it was a small fridge. Both sides of the room seemed to form a mirror reflection. The space seemed to be used to the maximum. The room was perfectly equipped, but it would be hard to talk about any privacy here.

Although she did not need much space, and she did not take anything with her that would take up the space. The problem, however, was that she had never shared her space with anyone before. Her former room was slightly larger than the one here, and it was solely for her own use. In addition, since she was very little she liked to be mostly alone, so it seemed not strange that in the present circumstances she preferred even more to remain in solitude. The quiet voice of Fujisaki-san pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Has... anything been established about the mistake?," she said in a nervous tone. She was certainly impatient for the whole time. This is probably not how she imagined her day either.

"Established? Yes, I just don't know if you'll be happy with that solution..."

That's how she told her everything she learned, apart from the fact that theoretically the room could remain in her hands and Fujisaki-san would be moved to the men's section. She didn't want to immediately force any private confessions on her.

"We would share a room together?!," she was very concerned and seemed to be even slightly upset by the proposal. "No...t-that's not possible...you really d-don't want to share a room with m-me...," she continued.

"They stated at the secretary's office that it was not a problem, and I agreed, so it is a question of whether such a solution suits you." She hoped in her spirit that it would not suit her, but she hoped that the girl would make the decision for her own reasons, not because she thought there was something wrong with her. Fujisaki-san's gender didn't really matter to her at all. Besides, she didn't like people at all, female or male, it didn't matter to her.

"M-me...," she couldn't say anything more. Her eyes were full of tears that slowly began to flow down her cheeks. Their eyes met, but only for a moment. Fujisaki-san quickly lowered her head and directed her gaze toward the floor.

She didn't expect this reaction at all. The approach so far has been to keep her distance and pay attention to her words. Don't meddle in not her's affairs. Yet at that very moment, she felt as if something had broken in her. The girl's tears awakened something in her that she couldn't quite define. All she knew was that she didn't like the feeling and wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, what follows calming down Fujisaki-san. After a moment of reflection, she decided that further restraint in expressing her opinion was pointless.

"Can I be honest with you, Fujisaki-san?," she asked, taking a step closer to the girl. She also tried hard to find a tissue in one of the pockets of her jacket, but without success.

“Yes,” she replied through tears, but not lifting her eyes from the floor.

"I know your secret. From the first time I saw you, I suspected what was going on."

"I d-don't understand...," she lifted her head and looked at her with an uncertain look, she was clearly confused.

"I don't mean to offend you, but the thing is, you can't cheat biology, though i suppose you would like to," she continued bluntly.

"You m-mean...," her eyes widened and from her face could be read an expression of shock and disbelief.

"I mean, I know you’re a biological male,” she finally clarified, to stop keeping the girl uncertain.

Suddenly, Fujisaki-san collapsed on her knees. Even more bizarrely, her crying had now turned into a quiet giggle. She didn't know how to behave, she stood in stunned waiting for the next course of events. At this point she began to wonder if she was being too direct towards her. Her intention was to calm her down, and it ended up making her look like she was about to pass out.

"I'm sorry...," she managed to gasp out after a while. "I think I got a little bit overwhelmed by this situation," she continued, trying to get up with the rest of her strength. When she finally succeeded, she sat down on the bed, and her face slowly began to get a little color back.

"Now that we've explained it..." Don't know why she got stuck in half-words this time. It was new to her, because she usually knew exactly what she wanted to say. She didn't speak often, but when she did speak, she liked to express herself precisely. "As I mentioned earlier, I have already agreed to share a room with you and have signed the consent. If that suits you, too, all you and your parents need to do is sign the paperwork I've put on the desk. Of course, you'll do whatever you want. But you have the option of either sharing a room with some guy of our class in the men's section or sharing with me. "

She wasn't supposed to be encouraging her, and now she felt she was doing the complete opposite. Maybe she just felt sorry for Fujisaki-san and empathy was getting the better of her. She hated this trait in herself, and it often seemed to her that it caused her more trouble than forgetfulness and distraction combined all together. It's also possible that she had already come to terms with the idea of sharing space with her. The girl was very quiet and seemed non-confrontational.

"If you don't mind...Thank you very much for your help and I hope to cause you as little trouble as possible during our time together," she said, bowing low. There was now a grin on her face and it seemed that she was slightly excited. "As if I could only ask you one more thing...Could you keep this information to yourself? At least for now...," she added, and her facial expression got a little serious.

"I'm not going to say anything to anyone. It's not like it is my business or anyone else's anyway," she went to the window and looked at the window pane.

Her eyes saw tall cherry blossom trees, their leaves swaying slightly in the wind. The sun’s rays reflected in the green grass. She liked the view. When she always thought about Tokyo, an image of the bustle of the city popped up in her head. She didn't think she would be able to find herself here. But the image from outside the window gave her peace of mind. It was a nice change after previous events at the secretary's office. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fujisaki-san, who was staring at her. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but something was holding her back. She turned back toward her, leaning her back against the windowsill.

"Your name..." she let out an inaudible whisper. When she was about to ask what she meant, Fujisaki-san added after a moment of hesitation. "I don't think you've introduced yourself before. I'd like to know your name..."

"Right. Somehow there was no opportunity before. My name is Yoshida. Yoshida Haruka," she bowed. "I also hope for a successful cooperation between us," she added with a slight smile. It was her well-rehearsed smile. By the age of 12, she had spent hours staring at the mirror just to make it look as natural as possible. She had long since forgotten what her real one looked like. She didn’t know if she still even could smile any other way. "Now that the formalities are over. I'm assuming this side will be mine," she pointed to the free bed on the left side of the room.

"We can switch if you like, I don't have any preferences about sides. I didn't want to choose anything. I sat on this bed just by accident," she said nervously, and it already looked like she was about to get up from her seat.

"Don't worry, I don't really care ether. Stay where you are. I can see that you have already started to unpack. There is no point in you moving now," she calmed the girl and moved towards her bed. She threw her rucksack right next to the bedside table and lay down on fresh bedding.

---

After a few conversations with Fujisaki-san, she noticed that she was a very shy and emotional person. She wasn't very talkative, either. Haruka was more than happy about it. She figured that as long as she won't stress the girl out and sticking to her side maybe she can get through this year in peace, and then who knows, maybe there will be the possibility of moving to another room next year. She turned her gaze to a small lamp on the wall. She knew it was the only source of light she could count on at night. She got out of bed and turned on the lamp to check how intensely it glowed. As it turned out, it was too intense for the fact that she was sharing a room with another person. This time, she turned her gaze toward Fujisaki-san, who had finished laying out her large set of electronic equipment on her desk. Haruka hadn't noticed before how many things the girl had actually brought with her. Near her bed were two large bags and a suitcase.

"Will that light bother you at night? I usually stay up until very late." "More like I'm probably not sleeping at all," she thought. She hoped that Fujisaki-san was sleeping hard enough that she would not be able to see that detail.

"No, it won’t be a problem," she answered without thinking and without breaking away from her previous activities.

For Haruka, however, the answer was clearly not sincere. Doubts were raised by the fact that the girl did not even for a second look at the light flickering from the lamp. In addition, during earlier conversations, at least for a moment, she tried to maintain any eye contact, but here it was different. Of course, her ears did not escape the trembling of Fujisaki-san's voice. Because of her profession, she was perfectly capable of picking up a lie. Admittedly in this situation, it suited her to just ignore it. Although if the girl is not able to sleep with the light at all, then her plan of action has no right to exist anyway. She also wanted to make Fujisaki-san aware that she couldn't fool her so easily.

"You should say what you think more often, and less what others want to hear,” she said, turning off the lamp.

"Huh? But I-I...," she stutter out completely shocked.

"The light will bother you," she said, pulling out a large, leather, pink notebook from her backpack. "I'm an actress. You'd have to really try harder to fool me," she added, sitting back on the bed with the notebook in her hands.

"I’m sorry...I just didn’t want to cause a problem," by saying that, her eyes were already full of tears.

"Only that it's me who wanted the light on at night, not you. It follows that if anyone is causing a problem here, it's me. That's pretty twisted logic for someone who knows how to operate all these devices," her gaze from Fujisaki-san wandered to her desk, but only for a moment, as her attention quickly returned to the object that was in her hands. She opened the notebook and began flipping the pages. When she stopped at the page she was apparently looking for, she looked back at the girl. "But I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. If we're going to share a room with each other, we need to get along somehow, and it will certainly be more challenging for you if you keep your opinions hidden. Plus, I don't want you to think you owe me anything," she slipped into the rest of the bed, now leaning against the wall. Her gaze, however, remained on Fujisaki-san, who seemed to calm down and listened intently. "So what about that light? Will it bother you a lot, or maybe just a little?," she pursued the issue. She was able to make a lot of concessions, but the light was incredibly important to her.

This statement clearly amused the girl, as her face glowed, and a giggle came out of her mouth. That reaction caught Haruka off guard because she wasn’t expecting it at all. It was definitely a different laugh than the one she'd heard before. Fujisaki-san looked like she was in a good mood, and certainly more relaxed. "It suits her face," she thought. She didn't anticipate that she would ever manage to improve someone's mood, let alone in such an easy way. The girl was an enigma to her, because she couldn't quite decipher her. She just didn't know if it was good or bad...

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," she said, a little embarrassed. "I've just never met anyone as direct as you and I was amused that you could change the subject of the conversation in such a fluid way. I hope I didn't offend you..."

"Not at all," she interrupted before the girl would get into negative emotions. "As you have already noticed I prefer directness so go ahead and speak up anytime," she added with a slight smile.

Fujisaki-san reciprocated the gesture and sat down on her bed. She focused her attention on the lamp on the wall. She endlessly turn it on and off and took an interest in the electrical switch that was also on the wall. Then she started to check the light bulb in the lamp. Haruka watched in silence waiting for the development of events. She was also waiting for an answer to her question, which she still hadn't received. After a moment of tinkering with the light, Fujisaki-san got out of bed and sat down at her computer. The speed with which she typed out keyboard keys was impressive.

"I think it would be possible to replace the light bulb with one that I could reprogram further. That way we could set a low intensity of light that wouldn't bother me so much, but also one that would be good enough for you," she turned away from the computer and smiled at her again. "I think it's only when I'm falling asleep that the light can bother me, but once I've managed to fall asleep I don't think it's going to be a problem. However, I'd be grateful if you weren't too loud, because I wake up very easily" The last sentence was decidedly quieter, and she could see that it was difficult for her to pronounce it.

Though the answer was hugely unsatisfactory to her, Haruka appreciated her honesty. She began to wonder how many nights in a row she had managed not to sleep. It was probably about 4-5 days. Fujisaki-san's statement indicated that there was no way she would not wake up during one of her nightly smasms. She has been trying to suppress her screams for years but in practice, it can be different. However, she had nothing to worry about for the next few days and decided to leave it that way for now.

"But until we get a light bulb, maybe this little flashlight would be enough for you for now? If not, I think I could handle the current lighting," she added after a moment, placing a small blue flashlight, pulled out of her skirt pocket, on Haruka's nightstand.

"I think the flashlight will be enough for now..." That's all she managed to get out of herself. She was amazed that the girl was so involved. Once again, she managed to surprise her. "Thank you, Fujisaki-san."

Chapter 5: Chapter 4

The day was slowly coming to an end. After her conversation with Fujisaki-san was over, Haruka finally took a shower and changed into one of the few things she had with her. To her delight, they were clean. She also took her pill. She knew she no longer needed to take it, but over the years it had become her obsession. It made her feel better about herself. It gave her an illusory sense of security. She was glad that there was a well-stocked supply in her backpack that would last her for at least a year.

She spent the rest of the day writing in her notebook and reading a book she had found at a subway station a few days earlier. It was extremely boring, but she had no opportunity for other entertainment. She would kill for headphones with a music player. Maybe she will be able to raise money for such equipment in the future. But for now, all she could hope for was that tomorrow she would get access to the library, which would have more to offer than Osamu Dazai's "Twilight".

Tomorrow she would also get the money for which she would finally be able to eat something. All this mess with the rooms allowed her to forget for a moment about the huge hunger that was afflicting her, but when the situation stabilised the intense stomach pressure returned to her. Fortunately, she managed to mask any sounds of her growling belly.

Fujisaki-san didn't seem to pay much attention to her anyway. She mostly sat in silence at her computer the whole time. Her face was in a state of immense focus, and her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard. Haruca happened to look at the girl time and again, but not often enough to make her feel watched. She concluded that this was only due to a lack of any interesting activities.

Haruka was pleased with her roommate. True, it was only the first day, but her feelings about Fujisaki-san's lack of desire to integrate together were valid, and that was enough for her. The girl didn't seem to mind the current arrangement either, because she looked relaxed.

The only thing that seemed strange was why she still hadn't changed in all this time. The stiff skirt, in which there was probably an underskirt holding its volume, seemed terribly uncomfortable.

---

It was 9 p.m., and Haruka started scribbling in her notebook again, though fatigue and hunger didn't allow her to focus enough to be able to write anything meaningful. Though it wasn't as if she was writing with meaning when she was in better shape. When she looked through her texts, she felt it all suck. Her mother would probably have laughed at the rubbish. On the paper you could see practically all the deletions. Nervous, she crushed the paper and threw it on the floor.

The frustration was so engulfing her that she didn't even notice when Fujisaki-san got up from her chair and left the room. She only realized when the girl came back in her hands holding a few chocolate bars.

„I didn't know what you liked or if you liked any of it, but I decided to take a few types just in case. You can eat it if you want”, she said, putting the bars on her desk and sitting back in her chair.

Haruka didn't want to be desperate, even though she certainly was. She was hungry and, despite her pickiness, loved virtually all sweets. In truth, she would have been able to eat anything from what Fujisaki-san had just put on her desk. She knew she shouldn't have taken the bar and responded to this friendly gesture. But given her current situation, she decided to break her rules once more.

„Is there anything you don't like?”, she asked, assuming that it was quite possible that in this large pile of treats there is at least one that she didn’t like.

She wondered if Fujisaki-san was such a fan of sweets, or if she had really decided to drag so many kinds of bars specifically for her. At the very least, she would have thought it unwise for her to be so involved again for the person she had only just met. Perhaps she simply wanted to please herself. The girl's kindness in this case, however, proved to be more of an asset than an insistence. Haruka was very grateful in spirit that she had not been condemned to watch Fujisaki-san eat all the sweets, and that she would have been left empty-handed.

„Actually, I'm not picky and I'll eat pretty much anything someone puts on my table...", her eyes turned towards the bars lying on the table. She looked as if she was pondering over something. „But if I had to choose… The least I would do is eat this coconut one...”, she added after a moment. „But take whatever you want, I'll adjust”, she began to move her hands nervously, and a slight panic began to appear on her face.

„Coconut is fine for me.”

She put her notebook one the side and got out of bed. She walked over to Fujisaki's desk and picked up a coconut bar.

"You can have more!" The girl's words stopped her on the way back to her half of the room "I'm not able to eat all of this and…I'm not such a fan of sweets anyway. One or two is enough for me.”

Haruka looked at the stack of snacks one more time and thought again about how hungry she was. Fuck it, another one wouldn't hurt her. She walked back to girls’s desk and picked up another bar, this time with a caramel flavor. She directed her gaze toward the table and then turned her attention to the girl, who smiled when she agreed to her request.

„You'll have the rest for later.”

She had barely returned to her seat and had already begun to open the coconut treat. However, she ate it slowly, not wanting to reveal that it was the first meal she had eaten in a while. Maybe this fact made it seem better than she remembered any coconut bar in her life.

„Do I owe you anything?”, she added after a while.

She asked only out of courtesy. The girl didn't look like she wanted money, but you never know. It would be problematic, however, if she demanded payment. Haruka had nothing to give her back for now. But her intuition didn't let her down.

„No, no. There's no need", she smiled again and also began to open one of the sweets she had bought.

„Thank you", she replied briefly, and went back to analyzing the text she had written earlier in her notebook.

Fujisaki-san, however, did not turn back to her computer. She was still sitting in a chair, facing Haruka, and quietly eating her chocolate bar. This did not escape her attention. The girl looked as if she wanted to start a conversation but did not have the courage to do so. It certainly didn't help her that Haruka went back to an earlier activity and completely ignored her after her friendly gesture.

Apparently, she misjudged Fujisaki-san earlier, recognizing that the hours spent in silence were a deliberate avoidance of contact. It's possible that the girl was simply too shy to speak up earlier. Either way, she had no intention of breaking the silence. She hoped it would discourage the girl and she would just let go.

It turned out she was wrong.and Fujisaki-san surprised her once again.

„Yoshida-san...You mentioned that you were an a-actress…”, again she could barely hear her, because of how quietly she spoke.

„Yup. Or at least that's what my acceptance letter says. Ultimate Musical Actress”, she replied, but didn't stop looking at her notebook. She hoped that this would get rid off the girl and she wouldn't ask any more questions.

„Musical? So you can sing, too? Amazing. You must be very talented", she heard the excitement in her voice.

This surprised her, because Fujisaki-san hadn't actually had a chance to see any of her skills, or at least she didn’t realize she was watching them right now. In addition, her talent didn't seem special or very interesting. Certainly, the words were due to the courtesy that Fujisaki-san has, as she came to realize, far too much.

„Mostly I sing, acting is more of an add-on, but at Hope's Peak Academy they decided that I would be given such a title", she closed her notebook and she turned her attention back to the mass of different electronic devices that were on her interlocutor's desk. „Are you some kind of computer genius or something?", she decided to change the subject. If they had to talk, at least she didn’t want to talk about herself.

„Genius? None of those things," she said with a slight blush on her face. „I'm just a programmer and I really just do what I love. Since I was little, I've been interested in computer systems. My father is a software engineer, so I had a lot of opportunities to learn from him. Over time, I started creating my own projects, which gained popularity on the internet. I never planned to stand out. Programming for me is the use of my creativity and the ability to express myself”, she spoke with great commitment, and Haruka listened carefully. You could see that the girl loved what she was doing and liked to share it. „Oh, I'm so sorry. I've probably bored you… I've been talking too much. In the end, all you asked about was what my talent is”, she was embarrassed and lowered her head, now staring at the floor.

„Absolutely not. You can go on if you want.”

The girl returned to being radiant when she heard these words. There were blushes on her face and the corners of her mouth floated wide up.

It was clear that she wanted to talk to someone, and Haruka, despite her surprise, realized that she wanted to listen to her a little more.

When Fujisaki-san talked about programming, it reminded her of what she used to be…

Full of life and fascinated by her interests…

---

„My first program that I got involved with was a program created by my dad. It started by simply looking at its contents. But out of boredom, I started adding some different options here and there. The program basically consisted of collecting a database and being able to constantly update, delete and add new information. I was interested in whether it was possible to enter data without using a keyboard. Some information took a lot of time to input, which seemed like a waste of time to me as a child at the time. In this way, I was able to create voice recognition, where the computer was able to recognize voice commands and collect information from the user verbally. It was a lot of fun for me to be able to talk to the computer. I felt particularly lonely at the time..., so I was glad to have the opportunity to spend my free time in this way. In fact, many of my other projects were based on this program. I even have a program on my computer to recognize sounds and create musical sequences that uses voice recognition. It is not outstanding, because I really have only a little idea about it and I didn't have the opportunity to test it either. I made it more in the form of entertainment”, Fujisaki-san turned to her computer and started looking at some files on it.

She suspected that she was looking for a program that she had mentioned earlier. After listening to the girl, she came to the conclusion that she was very intelligent and bright. The things she talked about proved that her talent stemmed from her hard work and the knowledge she had. This impressed Haruka because she mostly acquired her skills from nowhere. For as long as she can remember, she could sing and everyone praised her skills. She had always had an ear for music, too, so it didn't take her long to learn to play the piano.

When Fujisaki-san mentioned loneliness, she felt a sting in her heart, which reminded her of her own lonely childhood. In addition, the fact that she was expressing herself through her passion was also very familiar to her. Contrary to appearances, they were more alike than she thought.

It seemed to her... dangerous.

„If you want, you can play with it", suddenly she picked up the computer from her desk and handed it to Haruka sitting on the bed. She hesitated, but accepted the device, placing it on her lap.

---

The program proved fascinating to her. It allowed her to quickly and easily download a song from a web database and analyze its sound composition. It also allowed her to record her own voice and modify individual parts of the recording. It saved a lot of time and was certainly more accurate than a human ear. She remembered how long it sometimes took her to recognize individual sounds on the piano.

„Do you think it would be possible to connect to it an instrument? I mean, for example, a piano. Would it be able to analyze it? Or would the program be able to mimic the instruments?", she asked, and there was something in her voice that wasn't there for a very long time...

An excitement.

If the program were able to combine voice analysis and melody from the instruments, or even create an imitation of their sounds itself, composing would be a thousand times easier.

„I think it is possible, but it would certainly require some improvements and different kinds of testing.” It was apparent that Fujisaki-san shared her commitment. „Do you think this program is useful? Do you like it?", she asked shyly.

„Very useful. I'm impressed that you managed to create something like this without much knowledge of the subject.”

The programme was brilliant but she didn't want to show too much enthusiasm either. She had already got carried away too much.

„If you want, I could send it to you, for now in this form, and if you want, you could help me with tweakng it...”, despite the uncertainty in her voice, the smile did not disappear from her face.

Those words brought Haruka back to reality.

She didn't have a computer or a phone, so there wasn't even a way for Fujisaki-san to send her the program. Leaving aside the fact that she has led to a situation where she will have to explain herself.

And worst of all, her behavior caused her to give the girl hope.

„I'm afraid I don't have anything you could send it to. If you like, you can work on it on your computer. If you have any questions, I'll try to help”, her tone got serious. Despite her guilt, she had to let the girl know who she really was.

She was something Fujisaki-san should stay away from.

She put the computer back on Fujisaki-san's desk, avoiding eye contact. She returned to her bed and her attention was drawn to the clock above the front door. To her astonishment, it was already midnight. The three hours that passed quickly reinforced her belief that she should be more careful.

„Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find more than one person at this school who will find this program useful", she added with a slight smile as she saw the girl's confused face. She didn't want to make her feel bad and certainly didn't want her to cry.

„I'm sorry, I didn't k-know...”, her eyes started to glaze.

„You're definitely apologizing too much. Nothing happened and nothing offended me, so there's no need to be blue”, her voice softened a little from her last speech., and the corners of her mouth rose again, forming her well-trained smile.

Fujisaki-san was so fragile, and at the same time she seemed so naive. It looked like the world hadn't yet had time to break her…

---

„Yoshida-san?”.  After a moment of silence, the girl spoke. She still looked worried, but there was no sign that she was going to cry.

„Huh?”, Haruka gave her a questioning look.

„W-when I asked if you were an actress...I actually had a specific p-purpose in asking that question”, she started stuttering and her face was panicked. Her eyes were directed to the floor.

The girl's ulterior motive would explain her earlier lack of interest in conversation and spending the entire day in absolute silence. She didn't really want to get to know each other. The open had a very different purpose, and their subsequent long conversation turned out to be a by-product that neither of them had anticipated. In the end, she wasn’t so wrong.

„I wanted to a-ask if you had any advice for me... as to what I could do to improve my behaviour…. to make me look mo-ore like a woman? I wouldn't want anyone else to know that something was w-wrong...”, she choked up after a moment.

The conversation took a completely different turn. Haruka was stunned.  Look more like a women? She didn't know exactly what she meant.

„Don't think you need to change anything in your behaviour...The most important thing is that you do what you feel best about and it comes out as naturally as possible. Personally, I don't think a particular gender has any particular characteristics reserved for itself. When it comes to looks, I certainly didn't mean to offend you. The way you dress certainly adds more femininity, by adding the right make-up, I think you're able to cover up... some of the biological features of your appearance. Although if you haven't had such problems before, I think there's nothing to worry about. I myself wasn't sure until the last minute.” She hoped it didn't upset her . She tried to be as gentle as possible.

„Do you really think that you can see these masculine qualities in me, despite how I look now?!” You could hear that she was clearly moved, but for a strange reason it was not negative, quite the opposite.

„I mean… As I've mentioned before, it's hard to cheat biology, but…”

„Can I show you something?”, she interrupted, still very touched.

„I think so...”, she agreed, trying to figure out what Fujisaki-san might really be about.

She didn't really know what the conversation was exactly about and what kind of response she actually expected from her. She wasn't going to lie. Besides, for her, Fujisaki-san’s uniqueness didn’t make her look any worse.

When the girl heard the answer, she broke out of her seat and headed for the closet. In it, she feverishly began to look for something. After a while, the neatly folded clothes were in her hands, and she herself began to head to the bathroom with them. She entered without a word, leaving Haruka in even more confusion.

---

When she returned, she looked completely different from what she might have expected. She was wearing a loose white T-shirt and blue pants. Her makeup had completely disappeared from her face, and her hair had been tied up in a sloppy bun. When she looked at her, it was hard to see a girl in her anymore. She looked like an ordinary boy…

She'd even say a pretty handsome guy. After all, she was a male. However Haruka thought the whole situation was about not being him.

„What do you t-think?", her voice hadn't changed, let alone why it should…

The question came in a shy tone that she had heard more than once before, but now she understood what she had been unable to pinpoint when she first heard Fujisaki-san. In that moment, her voice perfectly matched the figure who was now standing in front of her. For a moment, she even forgot that she had been asked any question. She felt abashed . She hadn't felt that way before. She didn't know what to say.

„You look like… a man”, she managed to get out of herself. „But I don't understand what's the point? After all, you wanted to be a woman, so why…”

„I-I…”, she looked right into her eyes this time. „I’m not trans..., I just pretend that I’m a girl”, he added, without interrupting eye contact.

Chapter 6: Chapter 5

At that point, nothing made much sense to her. She looked (apparently at him) completely dumbfounded. She wondered what all the fuss was about and what exactly he meant by saying he was pretending to be a girl. She didn't know if it was some weird fetish, a hobby, or just an unfunny joke.

It turned out that there was no need for them to be roommates, since he is a man in body and mind. She couldn't believe that she had been so wrong about Fujisaki-san. At that point, she began to feel angry, mostly at herself for being so easily wrapped up.

They both stared at each other for a few more moments until he broke the silence.

„I guess it's ... a lot to digest,” he began looking uncertain.  „Actually, I didn't mean to disabuse you, but I don't remember a situation in my life where someone told me I looked like a man, much less when I was in women's clothes. I didn't want to mislead you...,” he looked at her again. His eyes were sad and tears began to flow down his cheeks. It was the same facial expression that had made her feel uncomfortable before. The feeling came back this time again.  Only now it was accompanied with a sense of frustration. She decided it would be best to keep quiet and listen to him until the end and then confront him.

„I'm just w-weak...,” his voice began to break. „And I was so happy when you s-said that… I just w-wanted to make sure...if you really t-think that...I don't want you to h-hate me now...like everyone else d-does…”

Fujisaki-san fell on the floor and started sobbing loudly.

All of her anger suddenly just evaporated…. 

The scene didn't look like a fake performance but after today, she began to doubt her feelings. 

Again, she felt a sting in her heart, but this time it was stronger than the previous one. She felt as if she was about to burst into tears herself, something that hadn't happened to her for years in reality. 

She couldn't just not believe him. She didn't know what exactly was going on, but was convinced that he, just like her, had been badly hurt…

„So I take it you want me to treat you like a man?,” she got up and reached for a tissue, which was in the box on his desk. She crouched next to him on the floor, keeping enough free and comfortable space for herself. The distance between them, however, was markedly reduced from the one she had usually maintained with people in recent years. „Or at least in this room,” she added, handing him a tissue. 

„I don't want to space you out, probably it would be very difficult to change the way you speak to me back and forth without exposing yourself to a mistake,” disappointed, he began to wipe his eyes with a tissue.

„I'm never wrong," she said confidently, returning to her seat. „I'm an actress. Playing roles is in my blood.”

„C-could you really do that for me?,” he rose from the floor this time, his face beaming.

"If it makes you less apologetic and cry, I think i can handle it,” she replied jokingly, trying to use the same trick she did the other time to cheer him up.

„I’m sorry...” his statement interrupted by her critical look. „I mean I’ll try...,” despite the initial confusion, he finally smiled at her fake menacing face.

„Well, the deal stands," her eyes turned to the clock, which this time pointed to almost 2 am. "I think we should go to bed. It's a bit late, and tomorrow we have this meeting with the homeroom teacher.”

She obviously wasn't going to sleep, but when she looked at him she thought he could definitely use some rest. After all the hysteria, he was probably  exhausted. 

„Yes it is…I didn’t notice that it was so late, I’m so…,” he paused. „Thank you Yoshida-san...For everything.”

„Don't mention it. When you go to sleep, you can turn off the lights,” she wrapped herself in a blanket, covering herself to her head, holding in her hand a prepared, previously received flashlight.

Her head was filled with a series of thoughts.

Would she manage in Hope's Peak, and would there be more surprises she would have to deal with to stay undetected here? It was only her first day, let alone four years…

„Four years," she thought. She couldn't imagine the next four years of her life. She didn't think she could cope…

She began to wonder if every day she will spent with Fujisaki-san would be such an emotional rollercoaster. He awakened in her today the emotions that she had tried to lock away in the depths of her heart. In fact, today she discovered that she still had a heart at all.

No matter what the next few days bring, she knew for sure that this boy meant trouble…

She should keep him at a distance. For her own and most importantly his own good….

---

The night passed peacefully, despite the discomfort caused by the strange place. She appreciated for sure that she spent it in a warm place and a soft bed. Not to mention the possible access to light. When it began to get bright, she exposed herself and turned off the flashlight. Then she spent the time mostly staring at the ceiling, time and again making sure that Fujisaki-san was still asleep. She wasn't sure when the boy finally fell asleep last night, but certainly from the moment the light began to penetrate their room, he slept like a dead man.

From her observation, she concluded that he was very calm during his sleep. He wasn't snoring, he wasn't twirling, and his face was relaxed. In spirit, she envied his quality of sleep. Though she wasn’t sure if this kind of sleep was due to fatigue from yesterday’s events or if it was something permanent.

When the clock started to show 6 am she got up from her lying position and reached for her notebook on the cabinet. There were still two hours to go until her appointment with the homeroom teacher, so she still had plenty of time. 

She leaned against the wall, lying on the bed, covered almost to her neck. She hated the cold, and always felt it more than anyone. The last few weeks spent outside gave her a good kick in that regard. Especially since February and March turned out to be colder than last year. It was good that spring had finally arrived. Even though it was still cold, by April it was closer to summer. Additionally she was in a place where the cold would not reach her.

She began to look through her notebook and looked disapprovingly at the results of her work the previous day. Before she could correct anything, however, the sound of the alarm clock that Fujisaki-san must have set the previous night rang out in the room.

„Good morning”, he looked at her still slightly sleepy, but to her surprise he was already in a sitting position. 

She was always amazed at how people manage to get up immediately after the first wake-up call. It always seemed like a good challenge to her, even when she regularly slept through the night, let alone now when her sleep consisted in finally losing consciousness from fatigue after a few broken nights and waking up only after 2-3 hours of sleep even more exhausted.

„Good morning," she replied politely, returning to her previous action in order not to initiate a larger conversation between them. She had to conserve her social batteries because today, unfortunately, there is a possibility that she will use them over the limit.

---

She didn't know when the morning had passed so quickly.

Before she knew it, Fujisaki-san was already dressed in his school uniform and sitting at his desk busy with his computer. He presented himself just like when they first met. The only difference was that this time she knew it was just pretending. 

She looked at him differently, now mostly through the prism of the boy she'd seen the night before. It seemed that yesterday's experience had made it harder for her to see the girl in him, even with his girly clothes on him.

From Fujisaki-san, her eyes wandered to the clock that now pointed to 7:30. She spring out of bed to search for her uniform, which she had unwittingly thrown into the wardrobe the previous day. Chaotically, she began to flip over a handful of items that were in the furniture. When she finally found the item she was looking for, she hurriedly headed to the bathroom, but just outside the door, Fujisaki-san's voice stopped her.

„Shall I w-wait for you?,” he asked uncertainly, looking nervously at the hour.

„You don't have to. It's probably going to take me a while. You'd better not be late on the first day," she said with a slight smile, then went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Looking at how shy of a person he was, Fujisaki-san certainly preferred them to go together. He would probably feel more comfortable with someone he already knew. However, for her, going alone seemed more beneficial. With this solution, she could count count on him to make contact with someone else. That way, he wouldn't feel the need to rely on her company. In addition, he was giving the impression of an arranged person, so being late on the first day could only make him more stressed.

She was late always and everywhere. No matter how much time she had, she always couldn't make it. She got used to it and it didn't make much difference to her whether she would have any particular consequences as a result of her later arrival.

---

In the hallway below the classroom, she was at 8:25. She stood under the door, corrected her already crumpled clothes and calmed her breath, which was uneasy because she was running all the way there. She knocked and then opened the door.

As she expected, she saw a simple classroom, with 16 teenagers in it, and as she suspected their teacher. Most of her peers looked perfectly ordinary. With the exception of a few instances, it was not apparent that the students distinguished anything from the 15-year-olds from other schools. All of their eyes were now on her. The expressions on their faces were completely different, ranging from friendly facial expressions, to suspicious looks, ending in simple indifference.

At least she was sure she hadn't mistaken the classes, because among the teenagers she noticed Fujisaki-san sitting at the very front. 

The first consequences of being late had already affected her because, as she soon realized, not only were the back seats occupied, as she expected, but virtually all of them. There was only one free seat and of course, it has to be in the front row, right in the middle, next to Fujisaki-san and the boy with his distinctive red eyes.

No wonder no one was in a hurry to sit in the front row, and no surprise that Fujisaki-san got entangled to sit there.

„I’m very sorry for being late, I had trouble finding a classroom.” The easiest thing to blame was that she was lost. Since it was her first day, she hoped that this excuse would make it easier for her to get away.

„Here it is our lost person,” she was attacked by the squeaky voice of the teacher, who was just looking at the sheet of paper on her desk. „Yoshida-san I asume?”

She replied only with a gentle nod and a subtle smile.

„My name is Ono Akira and I am the lead teacher of this class. It is a pleasure to welcome you to our academy. For the future, try not to be late. As you can see the seat has been reserved for you," she pointed to an empty chair that she had already been able to see. „We've been waiting with auto-presentations specifically for you, so if you are already in the middle you can start. Looking at the list from you, we'll just go backwards.”

Without undue prolongation, she decided to follow the teacher's instructions. Although she did not see the point of presenting herself in such an official form, the act itself aroused indifference in her. Standing in the middle of the class didn't faze her at all, and the gaze of others didn't disconcert her. Even the most insightful, or suggesting that someone was looking at her from above, made no impression on her.

Two four eyes looked at her with a dismissive look. A tall blonde and a girl with her hair tied up in two braids. She didn't care what anyone really thought of her. She wasn't used to worrying about other people's opinions, much less opinons about herself. 

For many, such an appearance will probably be more stressful, some will probably want to show off. 

Fujisaki-san popped up in her mind now. She wondered how boy will handle the situation.

„My name is Yoshida Haruka and my title is Ultimate Musical Actress. It's nice to meet you and I hope for a successful collaboration," she bowed low, then smiled in the direction of the other students. 

All she really hoped was that no one would get in her way, but she kept that to herself for now. Unlike some, she didn't want to make her attitude clear.

After ther he presentation, Ono-sensei thanked her and allowed her to take her seat. However, before she could sit, the boy sitting next to her suddenly got up from his chair and stared intently at her.

„Being late is unacceptable and detailed in the school’s regulations. In the future, I ask you to follow the rules more closely Yoshida-san,” his voice was low and the statement sounded almost as if it was being shouted.

At first she thought the teenager was joking but when after a moment his facial expression remained as serious as it had been, she realised that he was clearly concerned with her lateness.

There was a sound of giggles in the room for some of those present, who were clearly amused by the situation. 

Before she could make any reference to the boy’s statement, a hoarse voice came from the back of the room.

„Chill the fuck out and let her sit down,” the author of the statement was a rather muscular boy, with an unusual hairstyle. His hair was light brown and twirled slightly. His appearance was characterized by black lines of eyeliner on his eyelids and purple eyes.

„Yeah mate, she's already apologized," said a boy in a red mop and goatee beard in the same color. He was clearly a fan of the piercing.

„An apology will not replace my precious time, which I have already wasted enough in your company,” the blond, to whom she had drawn attention earlier, joined the discussion.

„Do you have a problem with my company?! Maybe you want us to explain it differently!?,” snapped brown hair guy, annoyed by the provocation of the boy in glasses.

„Violence is not an appropriate way to resolve conflicts and it is also not acceptable in view of the rules,” the provocateur of the whole dialogue has spoken.

„Screw you and your rules!,” continued pumped up boy in the back. He broke out of his seat and began to go to his interlocutor.

In the course of the discussion, she managed to take her place. The whole situation seemed to amuse her internally, and by looking at the faces of the other students, not just her. She didn't think she would cause such a storm by being late. The boys' behavior could be compared to the arguments of preschoolers.

Uncontrollably, her gaze turned to Fujisaki-san, who was not laughing and seemed concerned about what had happened. To her, the situation seemed harmless. She knew that the present teacher would not allow any fisticuffs.

„I think that's enough. Please be calm," said Ono-sensei, according to her presumably. „Owada-san please go back to your seat," she addressed this time directly to the big guy, who didn't need much to get to the front row benches.” And you, Ishimaru-san, please have a little more understanding. I'm sure Yoshida-san will reach us on time next time,” she smiled at the boy in the front row, then looked at Haruka with a suggestive look.

When Owada-san returned to his seat without a word, the atmosphere seemed to calm down a bit. 

The teacher began summoning each one in turn to the middle of the room for a self-presentation. As she had hinted earlier, the students were invited to speak according to the list she read from the end.

This was how the fanfic creator Hifumi Yamada started the self-presentation, and the swimmer Aoi Asahina finished it.

Most of the descriptions were similar to her own, they contained nothing more than the name, surname, and talent of the person presented. This was quite enough for her, and she even preferred this type of presentation. 

On the other hand, she was offended by the excessive bragging of some people. She hated narcissism and liked to stay away from people with excessive ego. 

In this respect, Togami Byakuya, Maizono Sayaka and Enoshima Junko certainly did not suit her. Hearing about the great wealth of Togami Corporation, Enoshima's immense global and fashion influence, and the outstanding Maizono talent from her own field, was a tiring enough experience for her this time and she didn't need an ounce more.

Some people seemed neutral to her: Naegi Makoto, who got here thanks to a lucky lot in the annual lottery, the swimmer Asahina Aoi, the soldier Ikusaba Makuro, the martial artist Ogami Sakura and Kirigiri Kyoko, the super-detective.

The others seemed specific and she didn't quite know what she was thinking of them: the participants of the first argument: Owada Mondo a motorcycle gang leader and Ishimaru Kyotaka a moral compass, Fukawa Toko, a writer who said at least twice during her speech that everyone looks at her because she's ugly, 21-years-old fortune-teller Hagakure Yasuhiro, whose predictions are only true in 30%, Yamada Hifumi addressing everyone as dono, Kuwata Leon, a baseball player who aspires to be a rock star and Ludenberg Celestia, a gambler with an odd name.

Again Fujisaki-san ran through her head. Despite his specificity, out of this group, he still came out the best for her. She recalled their conversation the previous day about his skills. To her, it was the perfect example of how it is possible to be enormously talented and yet not pretend to be better than others. She was delighted that of the two evils it happened that he became her roommate. Looking at this strange company, she wasn't sure if she could stand it with anyone else.

His speech went better than she expected, and there is even a good chance that someone in the back row heard his quiet voice. No one seemed to notice his true face, and even seemed that he impressed some of the boys in the class, who seemed delighted by the shy girl who also knows programming. Though from their yesterday's conversation, it would appear that this is not exactly his aim.

Chapter 7: Chapter 6

After these tiring speeches, the teacher began a monologue, which consisted of various organizational information.

The lesson in the academy lasted 1.5 hours. Every day, between 11:30 and 12:30, there is a break for lunch, which is served in the school canteen in the main building.

As part of the educational activities, the students of the special class follow three modes of teaching. The first of these, the compulsory one that all schools across the country have, will be held in the main building by everyone gathered, together in the classroom where they are now, in the imposed hours. It consists of subjects such as japanese, english, mathematics, information technology, PE, homeroom classes, social studies and science classes.

The second mode, on the other hand, consists of special classes that are individualized to the student's talent. These can be completely new subjects, but also first-mode classes in additional  hours. In addition, under this mode, each student is entitled to time for so-called self-improvement, which consists of free time during classes that the student should take to develop his or her special skills. However, from what Haruka understood, no one particularly controls how student actually spends this time, which called into question the meaning of these "classes".

According to the paper she received, her special subjects were: acting, music and dance. The least she liked from this list was dancing but in truth she was only interested in music anyway. The last mode of learning is extra classes, which allow students to develop interests beyond their talent. The academy offered a large list of such subjects. There was the possibility that someone's extra subjects would overlap with someone else's special ones. A student must choose at least two subjects of this kind in a minimum of 1 hour of class each.

The additional subjects cannot exceed a total of 4 hours. According to the teacher's statement, they have two weeks to decide on which additional subjects they want to enroll. During this month, they are entitled to participate in any of them in order to get to know the subject better. They can also use all the facilities in the school during this time. However, it was important that the decision was a one-off, as the plan generated in May does not change over the next four years of learning. 

She also learned that every year in May, a committee is held that verifies their progress and allows them to be promoted to the next class. The first was due to take place next month. Ono-sensei indicated that there was a possibility that some of them could be expelled from the academy even before the classes started if they performed poorly. Therefore, while choosing additional subjects and then waiting for the lesson plan, they are also supposed to prepare to appear before the committee. However, it is not expected to be a long performance, as it takes about 15 minutes to prepare the material. This announcement caused quite a stir among the students.

Haruka wasn't stressed. She figured that since she'd been accepted on the basis of her poor portfolio, she'd somehow manage to get through the comittee, too.

At the very end of class, the teacher handed them the cash bonus she had been expecting for so long. However, as it turned out, from today they were also entitled to lunch from the school canteen, so her stomach was saved anyway.

Yesterday's bars were not enough for her for long, but their aftertaste still remained in her mouth as a fond memory.

After being told that they might split up, she decided to get up quickly and leave the room so that no one could start a conversation with her, or worse, Fujisaki-san would catch her attention.

She could actually do what she liked now. 

She had never felt so free and so trapped at the same time...

---

She decided to look around the school, taking advantage of the fact that the school is not so crowded today, as classes don't start until tomorrow. Most of the students probably wanted to use this last day of spring break to unpack and relax before the start of the new school year.

Crucially, she did not forget and more importantly did not lose the map she was given at the beginning, so it will certainly make it easier to move around the building.

The first point of the tour was the shop located in the main building. There was still about 1.5 hours to go until lunch, so she decided to grab some more small snack before a bigger meal.

She didn't usually eat much, but the weeks of starvation had whetted her appetite. In addition, she didn't really know what would be served in the canteen. She was very picky and wasn't even sure if anything would suit her taste. When shopping, she opted for a simple cheese sandwich and strawberry waffle.

She also didn't want to be too wasteful, knowing that her budget was still limited. She remembered the light bulb that Fujisaki-san was talking about. She had no idea how much it might cost.She had no worldliness and had no idea of the value of individual items. When she was still at home she didn't go to the shops and everything was done for her. She hated that it made her such a cripple.

Haruka went to the checkout and noticed a packet of cinnamon candy at the counter. She thought back to the previous night and remembered seeing Fujisaki-san eating a cinnamon snack. Reflexively, she added the candy to her shopping. She figured it would just be a payback for yesterday's candy bars. Plus, he said he wasn't a candy lover, so it wouldn't make much of an impression on him anyway. She didn't even know if her choice would suit him at all.

It didn't matter to her.

It was a gesture purely out of kindness.

Or at least that's what she claimed in her head.

---

Then she decided to go to the library, which turned out to be gigantic and took up the entire first floor of their academic building. She could spend at least half a day there. She knew that she would be a frequent visitor to the place. It was quiet and serene there. Looking at the considerable literary resources that were there, she certainly wouldn't get bored. She began to wander between the shelves and look at what titles were on the them.

Certainly, there were plenty of books that might interest her, but she knew that she couldn't be too late for lunch, so she chose only the two books that caught her attention the most from the ones on top.  One was about crime and the other was a play. At least she would have something to do in the room. Plus, she hoped that if she read a lot in the cafeteria, no one would bother her, and if not, it was always an extra excuse to ignore other people.

In addition, she hoped that if she was busy reading in the cafeteria, no one would bother her, and if not, it was always an additional excuse to ignore other people.

---

She finally turned up for lunch after 12pm and to her surprise she even managed to find the food she could swallow. On her plate was rice along with a small piece of salmon and a slice of lemon. In addition, on a tray on a separate plate lay a banana.

Looking around the canteen, she saw a few familiar faces. To her dissatisfaction, however, she couldn't find a completely empty table. In fact, she might have expected that her lateness would lead to this again. After another moment spent searching for an adequate seat, she spotted a table that had only one person sitting at it. She decided she had to settle for such a solution.

When she got closer to the table, she saw Ishimaru-san, who looked a little depressed.

"Can I sit on?" She didn't think he was waiting for someone, and even if he was, there were enough seats for someone to fit in. She planned to eat quickly anyway, and then move on in search of something more interesting, so she should not occupy him with her presence for long.

"Of course. Every human needs to refresh themself to have the energy to continue the hard work during the rest of the day!," he answered loudly and with a little too much enthusiasm for her preferences.

She had already noticed that the boy was speaking in a very characteristic way. He also caused quite a bit of controversy during the class. He probably did not gain sympathy among their peers and for that reason he sat alone at the table. Despite the awareness of his peculiar character, however, he did not evoke negative emotions in Haruka. 

Hearing his approval, she smiled a little and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. She pulled out a book from her bag and began her meal, with a fork in one hand and a lecture in the other.

Ishimaru-san, to her delight, had finished eating his meal in silence, so she managed to read at least a few pages of her chosen reading, thereby cutting herself off a little from reality.

When her plate was already empty, and the last bite of the meal was in her mouth, she pulled away from the book in order to prepare herself to get up from the table. Looking up from behind the pages, she realized that her companion was watching her closely, and although his plate was also already empty, he still remained in place, apparently waiting for something.

"You shouldn't eat with a book in your hand, it could get dirty. Under school library rules, borrowed items should be returned intact." Although the statement was supposed to be some kind of advice, it sounded more like an order in his mouth.

This was the second taunt she had heard from him today, and yet it seemed to her that the boy was not doing it maliciously, he was just kind of obsessed with rules.

"As you can see, it didn't get dirty," she picked up the book and showed it to him from every angle.  Despite her distraction, she always tried to take care of borrowed items. "But you decided to tell me that right after I had lunch with it in my hand? Wouldn't it be better to suggest something like that right at the beginning when you saw what I was doing?, "she looked at him, raising her eyebrows slightly out of curiosity.

"It's best not to talk during a meal, as eating with a full mouth is uncultured and additionally a person can't fully focus on what they are eating. I decided to wait to share this information with you until after you've had your lunch".

His reasoning certainly surprised her. There may have been some truth in his words, but he sounded more like an older man than a 15-year-old boy. Although such an attitude allowed her to eat the meal in peace so, she decided not to make Ishimaru-san aware of the possibility of taking breaks during the meal to conduct a conversation.

"You're pretty observant. You've noticed that tiny sticker on the cover that says I rented it here. Plus, it's certainly impressive that on the first day you probably already know all the possible rules of this school," she changed the subject, hiding the book in her bag, thus preparing to evacuate.

"Thank you very much, Yoshida-san. It is important to know all the rules so that you follow them carefully. If you have a need I can lend you a copy of all the rules so you can familiarize yourself with them too." Ishimaru-san did not hide his satisfaction. A clear smile appeared on his face, and his voice, though it remained deep, softened slightly. She worried that the boy in his life hadn' t heard many friendly words in his direction.

"If I need any information, I'm sure I know who to turn to," she rose from her seat and took her tray from the table. "Thank you Ishimaru-san for your company," she added with a faint smile and started heading toward the exit.

Behind her, she heard only a short "Thank you".

Putting the tray back, she noticed Fujisaki-san at one of the tables in the company of two girls from their class. From what she remembered, it was Ogami-san and Asahina-san. They were clearly discussing something when the boy seemed more to sit a side and listen to their conversation than take an active part in it. However, he didn't look stressed, so it's possible he found the right company for himself.

---

After leaving the canteen, she decided to visit another place that interested her on the map. It was the 6th floor of the dormitory building that was to be addressed to students like her. She began the tour with the main room, the music hall. To her surprise, it was empty and quiet. She suspected that this rarely happened in a place like this.

After taking just a few steps into the hall, you could see its size. It was impressive. The leather seats in color of blood red in the audience matched perfectly with the high black panels on the walls. In the middle of the auditorium was a stage large enough for the size of the room. The chocolate parquet floorboards gleamed in the spotlights, and the curtain was colorfully matched to the seats in the audience.

She decided to stop for a moment. She closed her eyes and imagined herself standing in the glow of the lamps on stage. Crowds of eyes focused only on her, loud music in the background. It was a vision she had been imagining ever since she learned to sing. A wave of heat swept through her body, and a quiet melody began to float out of her mouth.
But it did not last long...

After a while, she became aware of the darkness around her caused by her closed eyes and the fact that at any moment someone could follow her from behind. Now her body was filled with nothing but fear and panic. She quickly opened her eyes but the rapid breathing remained and to her disappointment from her right hand, which she unfortunately managed to clench, blood began to come out.

The little girl's dreams may try to mess with her head, but her mind won't let her forget that what could have been will never be and it ended before it had even begun. Haruka was snatched from her years ago, and she is only now her shadow....

---

Other places she looked at were the recording studio, the dance room, the choir room and the instrument room. It was in the latter that she stopped a little longer. There were a number of instruments in it. You could come across virtually anything you could think of. From the strings, to the percussion, to the brass.

What caught her attention was the black piano in the corner of the room. She could not play many more instruments. Although she tried playing the guitar for years, attempts to practice in this area only ended in frustration and in results of breaking at least one of the instrument's strings.

Her legs practically carried her closer to the keyboard instrument. To her surprise, it was completely dusty. "Probably no one has played it in a long time," she thought. She wasn't sure if she could touch the piano but she figured it would be a reference to the teacher's talking about getting to know the school.

She rubbed a little bit of dust of black paint with her hand and sat down on a stool by the piano. 

She began tapping the selected keys to hear a well-known melody, but to her displeasure the sounds the instrument made were terrible and did not resemble the song that had been humming in her head for a few days. It turned out that the instrument must have been unused for at least a year since it was not tuned. If she had the tools she needed, she would have had no problem tuning it herself.

She looked around but did not see any tools in the room that would be useful to her for this task. There was a huge amount of cabinets in the room, but most of them were locked, so she did not have the ability to search them. She was convinced that with such equipment, the school must have the tools needed to tune the instruments and maintain them. This time, however, she decided to let it go, but the next time she sees someone, she'll definitely ask about it.

While looking around, she did at least see an object she could have been content with at the time. Not far from the hapless piano was a keyboard that seemed to work. The melody didn't quite sound like she wanted it to, but the instrument did at least allow her to visualize the sounds in her head and write them in her notebook.

The composition began with single sounds, which changed over time into increasingly longer sequences. The invented song expressed her frustration and sadness. It allowed her to  forget everything that had been going on lately. She was so longed for the music. It was the only thing that could disturb her silence.

Unfortunately, after some time, it wasn't just her keyboard sounds that began to do that.

"Awsome guitars!" The door of the room opened and a redhead she already knew came inside. Moments later, Maizono-san was in the room too.

"Impressive..." The girl's statement was meant to express enchantment, but for Haruka it was just a vain attempt to feign interest.

Kuwata-san, who had a strong interest in electric guitars, didn't even notice her presence, but she couldn't say the same about Maizono-san, who smiled artificially at the sight of her.

"Oh, I see it's not just us who decided to visit this floor. You are Yoshida-san, right?" The girl went deeper into the room, but did not take her eyes off Haruka. "I don't think we had a chance to chat, and I suspect we would have a lot of things to talk about". The longer she looked at her, the more she looked like a doll. Perfectly coiffed blue hair, a perfect figure, porcelain complexion and a deceptive smile.

"Oh yeah, you're the chick who was late in the morning," the baseball player noticed her now too, but he left his main focus on the instruments he had previously reviewed.

"There was no opportunity," she answered evasively and began to collect her things. She turned off the keyboard and began to head for the exit, but Maizono stopped her by standing in her way.

"I've heard you play in the hallway. How long do you play? You have to tell me your tricks." Pretending that she is fascinated by Haruka was surely amusing, when she really knew the girl was... Angry? Jealousy? Or maybe just reluctance. She wasn't sure.

"I've been playing since I was a kid, and I'm not a good teacher," she passed the idol and walked to the exit door. Though she couldn't let go. "But I'm sure that if you want to learn to play as well as I did, at Hope's Peak someone will definitely help you Maizono-san," she added, smiling in such a way that she gritted her teeth. She then walk out of the room, slightly regretting that she didn't get a chance to see the expression on the girl's face.

Chapter 8: Chapter 7

Proud of herself, she returned to the room, which turned out to be empty. It was no surprise that Fujisaki-san hadn't returned yet, because it was barely after 4pm. She, too, might still have visited some places at school if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want to put herself at risk of integrating with anyone else today. Her social batteries, just as she suspected the day before, had already worn out and now was the perfect time for her to reset them.

She lay down on the bed and began to wonder if it would be a good idea to try to take a nap while she was alone in the room. Although two hours of sleep would allow her to survive a few more days longer, and in case she had a panic attack, she could hide it from Fujisaki-san.

At the very thought of the hysteria overflowing her, she felt sick.

She turned to the side, her back now facing the wall. It coldness calmed her down a little.

Suddenly, she noticed that a flashlight she had received from her roommate yesterday had fallen out of her pocket and was now lying right next to her on the bed linen. She decided to take it with her today, just in case wherever she was, there would be no lighting or it would break down. After all, she didn't have a phone that she could use in such a situation. 

She took the object in her hand and began to look at it carefully. When he handed it to her, he had no idea how much this simple blue flashlight meant to her. Melody that she was playing today in the music room began to play in her head, but it was of a milder nature than she had remembered recently.

A feeling of warmth flowed through her body. Suddenly, she felt tired and her eyes began to close slowly. Before she knew it, she was asleep with an object clamped in her right hand.

---

When she opened her eyes back, her vision was a little blurry. She was a little confused because she didn't remember when she fell asleep and wasn't sure how long it had been since she went to bed.

When her eyesight sharpened a little, the first thing she noticed was Fujisaki-san sitting at his computer. He was already changed from his school uniform. His outfit was very similar to that of the previous evening. She couldn't even hear when he came back to the room.

She looked at the clock on the wall. It was after 9 p.m.

She seemed to forget about breathing for a moment.

She also let out an uncontrollable sigh from shock at the time of her sleep, which did not escape the attention of the boy in the room, as he suddenly turned towards her.

"I hope I didn’t wake you up,” he said with a slightly worried expression.

She began to wonder if maybe she hadn't woken up with a scream during her nap and just later fell asleep again and forgot about it. Sometimes it happened, and the past event only came back to her after a while, even when she tried hard to dispel it. Fujisaki-san's reaction, however, indicated that it didn't happen after he returned to the room, which was a huge relief to her.

"You didn't wake me up," wiped her sleepy eyes. "You're usually so quiet, that I don't even know how were you supposed to do that, and also I am heavy sleeper anyway," she reassured him and got out of bed. Suddenly she saw a flashlight lying on the pillow.

She must have fallen asleep with it. She quickly put the item down on the cabinet next to the bed and then began to search her bag to get her notebook out of it.

"Hitting the keyboard can be loud...if it ever bothers you..."

"Stop worrying, because there is nothing to worry about, "she interrupted him, continuing to examine the center of her backpack. "As for the sound of the keyboard I managed to get used to it anyway."

Suddenly, she saw the candy she'd bought earlier for Fujisaki-san. She took it out and put it on his desk.

"You said you eat pretty much everything, and since you don't eat much sweets, that's enough for a little bit. Now we're square," she returned to her seat and began to check again the contents of the bag in which the notebook had been tossed somewhere, looking every now and then at a surprised Fujisaki-san, who was looking at the snack and hadn't uttered a word yet. "Don't worry, there's no coconut in them," she added, breaking the silence, hoping that her statement might even amuse him.

She wasn’t wrong, because after a while she saw the boy’s wide smile and a quiet giggle.

"Thank you so much, it's one of my favourites. You don't have to go to all that trouble though," there was a slight blush on his face.

If he was honest, her perceptiveness did not let her down, and she managed to get to his taste. She did't know why she felt some kind of satisfaction because of it.

"I know. I don't have to do anything," she replied briefly, finally finding the notebook buried in the depths of her backpack.

In the blink of an eye, Fujisaki-san opened the packet of sweets and pulled out one of them.

"Want some candy too?, he gave her a questioning look.

His cheeks were still blush and the corners of his mouth lifted up. He looked at her softly with his brown irises, which were a little bit covered by his fringe that fell slightly over his face. However, the rest of his face was perfectly visible thanks to the fact that his hair was tied up in the same bun as the day before. This made it possible to see his very delicate facial features, which for her perfectly matched his overall look.

"Do you want to make sure I don't poison you huh?" she joked, and turned her attention back to the notebook so she wouldn't stare at him again.

"N-no, not at all, I j-just..."

"You can throw me one," she interrupted him because of his confusion. "I was joking about the poison. As you can see, a sense of humour is not my strong suit," she added, correcting her previous statement. 

She could have expected the boy will take it personally. For some reason, in his presence, her tongue became too loose.

"I think it might be more of a problem with my sense of humor," he became sad, then he hesitantly threw her the candy.

"Relax, there's also a good chance that we both just have a hopeless sense of humor," she unwrapped the candy and immediately threw it in her mouth. She was hit hard by the cinnamon taste, the intensity of which surprised her a little. There was so much of the added cinnamon in it that it left a distinctive slightly spicy aftertaste on the tongue.

Fujisaki-san's first reaction was surprise, which in the blink of an eye turned to relief. His loud giggle rang out in the room.

"You're right, it can be so," he said still laughing.

She was amazed at how easily his emotional state changed. Although she was pleased that she managed to eventually improve his mood in such situations.

When he was happy, he looked so carefree.

In that moment, she realised that she, too, seemed more animated than usual. It was possible that this was due to her earlier nap. Her body must have been disastrously exhausted if she had managed to sleep for so long. She thought that she must have taken advantage of this.

She settled comfortably on her bed and returned to her notebook. She began to analyse the melody she had written in it, which she had managed to compose in the music room. She remembered how it played in a slightly softer tone in her head before falling asleep. She corrected the notes, unfortunately only intuitively based on the piano, which was only in her imagination.

She ran her fingers across the sheet that was supposed to mimic the instrument. The next time she will be on the seventh floor, she will make sure to check those corrections. Just as with the melody she went quite smoothly, so with the text she had the impression that it could not go any harder. Her pessimism spilled over onto the page, which didn't quite fit the composition it was meant to be. She imagined the song in a very poetic way. Like a delicate poem, but when she looked at the pages of paper she wrote down, she saw the drama at best.

Cruel to her was that she couldn't bring out any emotions out of herself other than sadness, anger and hate. At that point, she regretted that she hadn't picked up any poetry book from the school library. At least she could have been inspired by it. The next day she would surely correct that mistake, and for now she would have to let go with the writting.

She swapped her notebook for a borrowed book. "No Exit," a play written by Jean-Paul Sartre. She found it interesting from the description, but it certainly wouldn't be useful for writing a song.

---

It was meant to be about life after death. Although the reading was very short, because it didn't take her even an hour, it was meaningful in its message. She didn't have to be convinced by the concept that humans are our hell, but the author certainly enforced that message well. She was happy to have western works in their library resources. She liked american and european culture, it was an escape from the japanese traditionalism that sometimes seemed to bother her.

Fujisaki-san had spent all this time at his computer. The last two days had shown her how similar they really were in terms of spending their free time. They were both doing their activities in silence, completely absorbing their attention to it for many hours. 

It was already quite late, and she suspected that the boy would soon be going to bed.

She wasn't wrong, because not long after she thought about it, Fujisaki-san turned off his computer and changed into his pajamas. She decided to do the same. When she returned from the bathroom, the programmer was already in his bed, but his night light was still on.

She went to bed herself, too, picking up a flashlight to be prepared for the turn off the light by him. She was about to cover herself with a duvet when the boy spoke.

"You didn't ask why I am doing this," he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. His voice seemed slightly pensive.

"Because it's none of my business. You don't have to explain anything to me," she got more comfortable on the bed and shifted so that she was now lying with her back against the wall, directed towards Fujisaki-san.

"I feel that I should though," he switched his position too, so they both now begin to facing each other.

"You can tell me why..., but not because you should. You don't have to do anything you don"t want to," she looked at him gently. "You can do that only if you want to."

They stared at each other like this, in silence. She didn't know if the boy had let go of the conversation, but the silence surrounding them didn't seem uncomfortable to her. They lay there for maybe a few minutes, after which Fujisaki-san decided to speak.

"As a child, I fell far behind any other kids. I was the smallest and least physically fit. I couldn't do any of the backyard games that their were playing. I also cried a lot. They always liked to make fun of me because of that. When I went to elementary school, it only got worse...," his voice broke and his eyes began to glaze. He closed them and started breathing slowly, presumably to calm down.

Haruka waited patiently, making no sound. She didn't want to put any pressure on him, especially as he was talking about his difficult experiences .

After a moment's pause, he began to continue.

"I was the subject of mockery every day. They were always able to come up with a reason to harass me. But it was usually about the same things: being unmasculine, weak, frail, behaving like a girl, looking like a girl. The days when it only ended in verbal taunts were the better ones...sometimes t-there was poking or...they l-liked to picck up my c-clothes to see.... if I was really a b-boy....," this time he couldn’t help himself and started sobbing loudly.

She felt like she wanted to break something. She was filled with immense frustration that what Fujisaki-san was really sharing was the past and there was nothing she could do about it now.  She began to feel sick when she thought about these people. Her own experiences began to overlap with the boy's memories, causing a single tear to flow down her cheek.

She quickly brushed it off and got out of bed, heading for the box of tissues. After taking the item from the desk, she sat with the tissues in her hand on the ground next to a crying Fujisaki-san. She leaned against his nightstand with her back and pulled one of the tissues out of the box and handed it to him. Her sudden movement caused that she has diverted his attention, making him a little calmer.

"How I fucking hate people," she thought out loud, unable to stop herself.

"I'm sorry..."

"Are you sorry for me hating people?," she asked ironically, looking at him with a curious look. In response, she heard a quiet burst of laughter.

The sound made her suddenly feel a thousand times lighter, and the corners of her mouth lifted up slightly. She looked at Fujisaki-san, who suddenly began to stare at her with a look she couldn't quite interpret.

"What did I tell you about the meaningless apology?," she asked rhetorically. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment to cut herself off from Fujisaki-san's  gaze on her. It was kind of overwhelming for her. "If you want, you can end this story on that."

"If you don't mind I'd rather finish it...," he answered quietly, but he sounded confident in his statement.

"Okay, so I'll stay in my place for now in case the tissues are still needed," her statement caused a slight flush on his face.

"Those who didn't harass me mostly avoided me, and because of my experience, I didn't try to initiate conversations with them myself.  It was during this time that I became interested in programming and mostly focused on it, spending all day in my room whenever I could. One time on holiday when I was in the shop, a teenager thought I was a girl. He looked at me very favorably and was very nice, so I decided not to  correct him. When I got home, this situation did not give me peace. I decided to try this method again, this time with more preparation. I bought women's clothes in my size and went out in them to a nearby park. Like the first time, I didn't encounter anything negative. From then on, whenever I left the house, I pretended to be a girl. When I started middle school, I also continued this practice. I got along with my peers and no one harassed me. After such a long time, I got used to it," he concluded his monologue.

Despite stating that he had already come to terms with it, for Haruka it sounded like a resignation.

"But you're not a girl," she summed it up briefly.

"Many times I've wondered if maybe I don't feel like a woman. It would certainly be easier if I were one...," his thoughtful gaze landed on her now. "But I always came to the same conclusion... that I would really give anything to be like a normal teenager.... Normal boy who dresses as he wants, wears the hairstyle he wants... If that was the case, skirts certainly wouldn't be my choice..."

"I think it's stupid," she looked at him with a serious look. " And also a little sad...," she added after a moment of reflection, and then got up from her previous seat.

She put down the tissue box on the desk and wandered to her bed, keeping Fujisaki-san in uncertainty. He was definitely confused by her imprecise speech. However he did not speak, he only looked at her and waited for her thoughts to develop.

"People obviously told you something stupid," she paused for a moment to look at him. "You know why?" She received only a negative nod to the question. " Because I see in front of me now an ordinary boy who doesn't have to change anything."

After her words first there was silence in the room, but less than a few seconds later there was an expression on Fujisaki-san's face that seemed new to her.

At first glance, it would seem that the boy was about to go into hysterics, but when she looked closer she saw a blushing happy face with tears streaming down his cheeks. "Affection...," she thought.
In that moment, she didn't understand how all those emotions would derogate him. Fujisaki-san's feelings showed her his humanity and sensitivity to harm. She was jealous of all those emotions because she had been robbed of hers years earlier.

"Thank you... Yoshida-san... I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything," she interrupted him and looked at the clock that showed 3:00 am." I think that's enough for today. Sleep, it'll do you good,"  she added, covering herself with a duvet.

Once again, she got lost in the conversation, even though she had previously sworn that she would never allow such intimate dialogue between them again. She clutched a flashlight in her hand with stress. Something strange was clearly going on with her. She felt as if she had to learn to keep her tongue behind her teeth again.

"You're r-right...," there was an insecurity in his voice again. It only disappeared during the boy's longer stories.

"Goodnight," she looked at him for the last time and covered her head with a duvet under which she already had a flashlight lit. There was a quiet response from the programmer in the form of a short "Goodnight."

In the first few minutes of bedtime, she regretted that she hadn't tucked a second book from the library under the duvet that would have helped her kill some time. She was in such a hurry to end their conversation that it completely fell out of her mind. However, she did not plan to move in the meantime and decided that she would take out the reading in some time when the boy would surely already be asleep.

"I ordered... that light bulb we were talking about recently... " Suddenly Fujisaki-san's barely audible voice came from the other side of the room.

"He remembered...," she thought.

She was going to ask him about it, but when they started talking, other topics always came to the fore. She wondered if it would not be better for her now to pretend she had fallen asleep with the flashlight on, than to start another conversation with him. Though on the other hand, maybe if she answered now it wouldn't require too much interaction with him over the next few days.

"Thank you. You can leave tomorrow on my desk a piece of paper with its price so I can pay you back," she finally decided to answer, but she didn't raise her head from under the duvet.

"There's no need..."

"I will pay you back, period. Goodnight Fujisaki-san, ” she interrupted him in half a word, turning from her left side to her back, still under the cloth.

After she spoke, the conversation ended and she was consumed with thoughts. She was definitely going to pay him back, even if she had to spend her last money. His kindness crossed the human line, and she didn't want to let him walk over her.

She did well to stay out of sight of him. She was afraid that if their eyes met, I might succumb again...

Suddenly, a flashlight caught her attention. It was covered in blood, just like her right hand, which was completely bloodied from the inside. Marks were also on the bedsheets. "Again, I was too involved," she thought.

For the next few hours, she was consumed with guilt...

Chapter 9: Chapter 8

She had been on her feet since early morning. The first thing she did when she woke up was clean up yesterday's bloody mess. Although she had no way to change the sheets, she wiped the stains and made the bed so it couldn't be seen. She was also glad that she did not damage the flashlight which she managed to clean up completely.

It was only after 8 a.m. and she was already hovering around the shelves of the library to find more books. That night she had also managed to read a previously borrowed crime novel, so she definitely needed something new to help her kill boredom when she was in the room, during the next month. She knew that when classes finally started, studying would take up a lot of her free time.

She left the room when Fujisaki-san was still asleep, and even though she knew the library didn't open until 8 a.m., she didn't want to be in the room when the boy woke up to avoid unnecessary conversation between them.

She went to the music room where she continued composing, which was interrupted yesterday. She spent at least two hours there and then headed directly from there to the library. She planned to return to  classroom later that day, to look at the music lessons taking place there. However, according to the layout displayed on the door, classes did not take place there until 12:30 p.m. That gave her plenty of time to look around the reading room and then go to her lunch break, after which she would go to the music lessons.

---

That day, she planned to show up for lunch a little early, hoping that she would be able to find a small, free table at which she would eat her meal quickly. However, she linger in the library and found herself in the cafeteria shortly before 12 p.m.

Just like the day before, the room was full, and one of the few empty tables was the one at which Ishimaru-san was sitting. This time, however, Fujisaki-san was also at the same table. She began to wonder if the boy had deliberately planned to sit at that table, just because she had recently taken a seat there, or if it was simply a coincidence. But if it was a deliberate act, she wondered if it was because of their conversation yesterday...

For a moment, she thought about whether it wouldn't be better to skip lunch that day but before she could even consider that option, the programmer noticed her presence in the room, and worse, realized that Haruka was staring in his direction.

As soon as their eyes met, she immediately cut off eye contact and went to get a tray on which she put some rice on and poured it with chicken sauce.

She also placed a small chocolate pudding next to her plate and turned back towards the seated students. This time, as she looked around the room, she saw a completely empty table at which she could sit without any company. However, when she looked back at her roommate, her legs began to move in the direction of the table he was sitting at.

Then she knew she was screwed.

"Can I join you?,” she asked as part of the formality, not expecting any of the boys to say no.

"Of course, Yoshida-san, it's good to see you again," replied her delighted Ishimaru-san, whose plate was already completely empty. She wondered why he was still sitting in the cafeteria when he had already finished his meal. Was he waiting for her, too?

The programmer and the moral compass sat opposite each other, which meant that she had to take a seat next to one of them.

"Do you mind?," she asked directly to Fujisaki-san, pointing to the chair on his right. Unlike Ishimaru-san, the food on the smaller boy's plate seemed virtually untouched.

"No, absolutely not,” he said, and moved the chair next to him slightly so that it would be comfortable for her to take her place when her hands were busy holding a tray. Even such a small charming gesture knocked her off track. She always thought she was hard to impress but Fujisaki-san seemed to do it so easily that it scared her. She wondered if this boy had any flaws...

"Thank you," she replied quietly, and sat down at the table.

This time, she didn't plan to pull out one of the newly borrowed readings, remembering Ishimaru-san's attitude to the activity. She didn't want the boy to fire up

She stuck her eyes in the tray of food and began to eat her meal in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Fujisaki-san had done the same, which further confirmed the theory that he was waiting for her.

"I was s-surprised... when I woke up and you were already gone...," the programmer shyly started the conversation.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to explore the school for a bit,” she replied, not taking her eyes off the fork in her hand with a piece of chicken on it.

"Eating with an open mouth is uncultured and you shouldn't talk during a meal," Ishimaru-san interjected.

Fujisaki-san was clearly shocked by the black-haired man's reaction and it was obvious that he felt uncomfortable. Meanwhile Haruka completely forgot about this aspect of her last conversation with the moral compass.

"I'm s-sorry...," Fujisaki-san panicked and began his standard apology mechanism. Before he could continue and more importantly cry, she decided to step in.

"Ishimaru-san, do you realize that you can stop eating for a moment so that you can have a conversation with the other person? You can then go back to the meal and then pause again and talk further. For me, as long as you don't spit out food and talk clearly, that's fine," her tone was gentle but also explicit.

The boy looked at her for a while but his eyes were blank, because he seemed to be consumed with thoughts in his head more then actually looking at her.

"I never thought of it that way. My oblivion may be due to the fact that I only ate with my father and grandfather, who did not have any discussions during meals. Please accept my huge apology Fujisaki-san, Yoshida-san!," the last sentence was shouted out. She suspected yesterday that the boy didn't have many friends, but it turns out he didn't have any, according to his statement.

"It's all right Ishimaru-san," Fujisaki-san’s face was relieved.

"You'll know for the future," she concluded, and returned to her meal. Fujisaki-san did the same, but his gaze was directed at her every now and then. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he was afraid. This could have been due to a previous red-eyed reaction.

"If you want to say something, you can say it Fujisaki-san. We had previously established the rules we apply when eating," the second sentence was said in a slightly infantile way, which was meant to relax the boy. The goal has been reached because her roommate laughed slightly.  Though he still hasn't made eye contact with her since she spoke to him. Ishimaru-san, on the other hand, didn’t seem to catch the joke, because he just watched their conversation in silence.

"I know, it's j-just..." he now seemed more embarrassed than stressed, his cheeks slightly blushing.

This expression, in turn, caused her a slight stress that she couldn't name. She didn't want to rush him, but on the other hand she wasn't very patient. In the end, however, she did not speak before him and answered him only with an inquiring look.

"Fujisaki-san, you can express what is bothering you," Ishimaru-san tried to encourage him, but she assumed it would have the opposite effect. After a moment of silence, the boy gave up what he wanted to say.

"Actually..never mind.  It's nothing important, " he said quietly, resignedly.

"It's okay," Haruka reassured him, and she returned to finish her rice, which has long since cooled down.

She didn’t want to push him too hard. It could always have been a small thing or he could have simply changed its mind.

"Oh, it's just come to me, you're roommates, right?," spit out all of a sudden moral compass.

"It so happens that we are," she replied, confused, not knowing exactly where his question was going.

"I'm glad you're getting along. I'm also working to make sure that Owada-san and I find a common language. It's important to maintain harmony in a place that is used for regeneration and learning." 

It seemed that the question was only meant to bring up a new topic to talk about. She didn't expect such an initiative from Ishimaru-san. The fact that he was sharing a room with a guy who, the last time she'd seen him, wanted to punch him, was very unfortunate.

"Owada-san is...," she stopped looking for the right word. " specific," she thought that such a term was the most neutral in this case.

"I hope you can reach an understanding ...," added Fujisaki-san, who didn't sound convinced that an understanding  would eventually happen. She was not surprised by his reaction. She herself didn't imagine that these two would get along. Even at first glance, they were total opposites. 

"I believe that everyone can get back on a proper moral path, Owada-san probably just needs more time for that," he sounded visibly moved. You could see that he cared a lot about it.

A little naive and idealistic approach. It was different from what Haruka usually had.

Ishimaru- san suddenly broke out of his chair. "Unfortunately I have to go back to my duties, but it was a pleasant conversation. Thank you for your company," he bowed and walked away from the table.

That's how she and Fujisaki-san were left alone at the table. There was nothing left on her plate, and theoretically she too could have evacuated. Programer, on the other hand, even though he had an empty plate, had not yet touched his chocolate pudding.

"I think I'll be going too..."

"Yoshida-san,” he interrupted.

"Huh?," confused by his sudden reaction, she was unable to make anything else out of herself. Would he finally be able to tell her what he couldn’t before?

“You l-like sweets, don’t you?” his question made her even more confused.

"Yes, I do."

"I t-thought maybe ... would you like to have my pudding? I know that you can only take one in the canteen, and I don't feel like it anyway...

She answered him with a laugh and the kind of sincere giggle that she hadn’t heard in years. She was stressed by what the boy wanted to say to her, and it turned out that it was just another expression of his kindness.

"I thought that someone had died but instead you kept trying to ask me if he wanted to eat your pudding," there was still a streak of amusement in her voice.

She thought her statement would make him laugh too, but instead of the expected reaction, she saw admiration and blushes on his face. He stared at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

“You’re looking at me like there’s something on my face,” she added jokingly again after a while, as the boy continued to stare at her in the same way.

"Oh, I'm sorry...," he was clearly embarrassed, But before she had time to admonish him for another unnecessary apology he began to continue. "Just... usually your smile looks different...Of course, yesterday it appeared for a moment, too, but..." he interrupted his speech once again and lowered his gaze, which was now on the pudding on the table. "It suits you, " he whispered and if it wasn't for her faith in her good hearing skills, she'd think she'd misheard him. 

She looked at her reflection on an empty plate and although it was barely visible her face actually looked different. It was slightly blushed, and the corners of her mouth were still lifted slightly upwards.

He was changing her...

She didn't like it...

“Fujisaki-san, why didn’t you sit down with Asahina-san and Ogami-san today?," she got instantly serious. 

"I-I...," he stuttered . He was clearly stumped by her sudden question and change of heart.

"I just want you to know that I'm not the best friend material, if you stick with me, it can only hurt you," she said, not even looking at him. She got up from her seat and picked up her tray. "We're a good roommate, that's all," she walked away from the table without giving him a chance to answer.

She didn't turn around all the way to the exit, either. If he was going to cry, she didn't want to look at it. "He'll meet someone closer and get over it," she thought. She was convinced it was for his own good.

---

The music class had been going on for a long time. She hurried through the hallways to reach the coveted classroom as quickly as possible. When she did, after opening the door, she saw a group of students and a teacher of a rather elderly age. She was short and slightly round. She had grey short hair and red glasses on her nose.

"Yes?" a woman asked at the sight of Haruka at the door. She had a very melodic voice.

"I'm a freshman and I will be attending this subject in May. I would like to see how classes are conducted.

“Special or extra?” the teacher asked.

"Special," she clarified. "I'm a musical actress," she added, realising that this could also be important for a woman.

"Apart from Saionji-san and Mioda-san, there's been  a long time since someone was attending my subject in a special form," she directed her eyes first on a petite blonde with her hair tied up in a high pony, and then on a girl with a punk haircut with a blue-pink fringe.

When she looked around the room, she realized that she didn't see any familiar faces. She expected Maizono to show up for class, too. The teacher's statement explained why the piano that was in the room was dusty and untuned.  For a long time, there was probably no one at school who could play it. However, there was still the fact that the teacher did not use this instrument. Did she not possess such a skil too?

“Fresh blood,” laughed the girl with the fringe.

"You can sit there on the side, my name is Tomoko Noda and I have been teaching this subject in this school for a very long time,” she added after a moment, pointing to her an empty seat.

---

To the very end of the class, Haruka had not spoken again. She didn't really even have a reason to, because the class was focused on the theoretical part, which definitely disappointed her. The teacher's discussion of harmony wasn't what she expected.

When the students started coming out of the class, she decided to harass the teacher about the piano she wanted to be fixed, but she was stopped half way by a boy with long white hair with pink highlights.

"It's not always so boring, Noda-sensei often likes to surprise us. That's what I like most about her," the last sentence was said a little flirtatiously. Her interlocutor seemed a little strange. "I'm Komaeda and in case you need me I'm here to help, newbie," he ended the statement with a friendly smile and disappeared in the doorway. "I can manage," she thought. 

She turned her attention to the teacher, who had already gathered her things and was also preparing to leave the room.

"Is there any possibility that someone will tune this piano in the corner?," she pointed her finger at the instrument. The statement caught the attention of the teacher, who put her bag back on the chair and looked at her in surprise, "Or did you provide me with the tools so I could do it myself?" she added when the woman became interested in the matter.

"Are you playing?," she asked with a surprised face.

She wondered where the astonishment came from. She was, after all, at a school with very talented people, and playing the piano was not something extraordinary.

"Yes," she replied briefly. "Or rather I would like to, because at the moment the piano is not suitable for such a function," she added.

"All right, I'll tune the piano for you tomorrow. Previous students didn't show much interest in it, so there wasn't such a need."

The statement pleased Haruka because it opened up more opportunities for her.

"It turns out I'm different," she quipped briefly. "Thank you, Noda-sensei, see you in class," she smiled slightly and headed for the exit.

"I'll probably be part of your committee. Then we'll see what you can do," she said from behind her back.

She didn't want to go back to the room just yet, though she didn't think she had any other choice. There were no longer any classes that interested her that day, and participating in random subjects where she was exposed to unnecessary interaction with people was too overwhelming for her.

The teacher reminded her of the assignment, which made her realize that she still had to prepare for it. She figured that's what she would do in the room and try to mask her existence as best she could.

---

When she got to number 10, the room was empty. On the closer inspection she noticed that there was a piece of paper on her desk that hadn't been there before.

In spirit, she hoped that only the price of the light bulb they had talked about was written there.

At first glance, however, it was unfortunately clear that this was a short statement and not just a few digits. The writing was very neat and tidy. It was completely different from the scribble that were in her notebook.

"I don't want you to pay me back for the light bulb. That's all I'm asking for. I promise I won't bother you anymore."

After reading, she sat down on her bed with the card in her hand and looked at the opposite side of the room that belonged to Fujisaki-san. Although she should be relieved, she felt even more uncomfortable.

"This will be better," she repeated in her head.

Instead of throwing out the piece of paper, she put it in the back of her notebook and then began to pour her feelings into paper. After a while, however, she paused and looked at her night light.

"It can't be any other way," she reassured herself in her head, and then returned to the previous action.

Chapter 10: Chapter 9

The last four weeks passed more slowly than she would have liked. She hoped that when the school year finally begin, time will pass more quickly.

In the intervening period, she focused mainly on composing. The music teacher brought the piano in order, as she requested, so Haruka could concentrate on making music in the evenings when no one was in the classroom.

She wrote many satisfactory melodies and many unsatisfactory lyrics to them...

At the music lesson itself, she appeared only once more, because, unfortunately, contrary to Komaeda's assurances, she faced again a discussion of the theory of music, which she will probably listen to for the next 4 years.

She also attended drama classes, which seemed just ordinary and didn't stand out in anything special in her opinion. Even she would say that they were largely similar to the ones she had attended before in Sappor

And it isn't a compliment. In her hometown the classes were held in a small, modest school with a much smaller budget.

She also reviewed her last special subject, which was dance. It turned out to be much better than she expected. She returned at least three more times. She was pleased that most of the activities in the class were one-on-one and did not require her to touch other people. In addition, the repertoire for the dance was very diverse, and the teacher, Ogura Yukimichi, seemed very specific and professional. 

Over the past month, she has also become familiar with additional subjects. She had to choose a minimum of two, but in the end she decided on three. 

The first was literature, and as soon as she saw the list of activities on offer, it seemed an obvious choice to her. 

The next subject she ticked off on the form was cooking. It was always important to her to be as self-sufficient as possible. The ability to prepare her own meals was certainly part of this premise. It was embarrassing that she could not even peel potatoes or cook rice. In the dormitory, in the common part, there was a kitchen that was used by all the students on their floor. If Haruka had learned to cook, she could have prepared breakfast or dinner there, and even lunch when the one in the cafeteria didn't suit her.

Plus, she didn't want to be like her mother, whom she never saw at the kitchen. At home, the housekeeper took care of everything. Haruka never imagined that she would hire someone to roam around her apartment, if she ever had one...

Two of the previously mentioned activities she decided to do with one hour a week. Her third choice turned out to be something totally surprising even to herself. One day, by chance, she stumbled upon a gymnastics class that fascinated her so much that she has been coming to every one since. Owari Akane, Ultimate Gymnast and team captain, played the first wing there. Aside from her, maybe three more girls participated in the classes. When Haruka watched them, she saw a lightness and grace in their movements, which spoke to her very strongly. She had never been interested in gymnastics before, but her intuition told her that it was a good occupation for her. She had always had a problem with balance, so it was definitely an extra challenge, although Haruka liked to test her abilities. 

She flipped over the subject so much that she extended it by two hours a week, thus draining the maximum number of hours she could do in a week. However, it didn't seem to be a negative thing for her, as it would at least allow her to have more of her time taken up during the day.

She had also recently begun preparing in earnest for the commission, which was due to take place tomorrow. Although she had been planning to do it for a long time, she kept putting it off until later. She decided to lean on the Disney classic - Mulan. One short scene was enough to fit in time, and because she had played it many times on the boards of a drama club in her hometown, it didn't require much commitment, just a little polishing. 

In the meantime, she also stocked up on an alarm clock, extra clothes, including two warm sweatshirts that seemed necessary for her nights in the dorm room, a new toothbrush, a hairbrush and a hairband.She purchased all the necessary items in a small school shop that contained basic necessities. 

Most of the students probably treated it as a place to shop in an emergency. Despite the wide variety of merchandise, also there were no fashions or top brands. But for Haruka, it was enough because it did not require her to go into the city and leave the school walls, which caused her immense anxiety. The fear that someone would recognize her did not leave her even for a moment inside the academy, let alone in the center of Tokyo.

Since the last conversation with Fujisaki-san in the canteen, the boy had returned to his original choice of table, sharing a seat with Asahina-san and Ogami-san. When she decided to show up for lunch, she sat down with Ishimaru-san, with whom she sometimes exchanged a few sentences on minor topics. The boy often brought up the topic of his roommate, with whom he still could not get along despite many attempts. Owada from what she could see, did not have an easy personality. He was very rowdy, it was easy to discompose, especially when he was being called out about anything. With Ishimaru-san's disposition, they made up an explosive mix. What was happening in their room, she knew only from the moral compass himself, although many times in the cafeteria she had noticed the gangster’s hostile glances towards their table, or had heard unfavourable comments towards the red-eyed man.

She and her roommate, on the other hand, did not exchange a word more than was necessary. Clearly, the programmer took her words to heart because he did not initiate a conversation between them, as he had done previously. It seemed to her that everything was back to normal. Her sense of guilt decreased and she and the boy learned to ignore each other in the end. 

When the light bulb finally came, Fujisaki-san installed it and together they determined the range of light that would suit both of them. With this solution, she no longer had to hide under the duvet and had more freedom to move around her part of the room at night. Although the bulb didn't fully solve the problem, because if she wanted to go to the bathroom, which was on the boy side, she would still be exposed to the dark because the light from the bulb did not reach that far. However, she couldn't complain because she already got more than she expected at the beginning.

When it came to payment, Haruka agreed to his request and didn't mention the cost of the item. However, their conversation that day was so short that she completely forgot to return the flashlight she had previously received from him. Fujisaki-san also didn't ask for it. The situation had been going on for some time and she still hadn't bring herself to return it to him. She also wasn't helped by the fact that she was getting used to carrying it everywhere with her. She decided to return it to him when she finally bought her own, but this too was delayed indefinitely because she couldn't find the item in the school shop, so she would have to buy it from outside. However, if she wanted to give it back to him, she knew she would eventually have to do so.

In the past week, she had also heard that Kuwata and Yasuhiro, who was his roommate, had organized an integration party for the whole class in their room. Haruka, of course, ignored this invitation and suspected that she was definitely not the only one. On the day that the party was taking place, Fujisaki-san returned later than usual to their shared dorm, so she suspected that he had decided to go. However, she did not ask him for details, as she was completely uninterested.

Thanks to his outings, she sometimes managed to take a nap. This was during the day, because apart from that one party mentioned, the boy did not leave their room late at night. 

She was amazed that she had managed to get through that month without  Fujisaki-san knowing about her “condition.” That month, she had experienced at least five panic attacks after her eight sleeps. In her mind, however, it wasn't much. She didn't even want to remember her records in that dimension. True, they occurred when she tried to fall asleep every night, although there were also more of them when napping or fainting from fatigue.

---

It was April 30th, the day when the first graders held their commission. According to the list, she was the last of her year and began her performence at 11:45.

Seeing how accurate the schedule was, which did not involve even a minute of delay, she decided that she had to make an effort and show up on time. She was exceptionally successful because she was already in the gymnasium in the main building where the whole event was taking place, before 8:00 am. 

The commission caused a great stir among the students, both those who were to hold commissions that day and those who were simply curious about the fresh talent that appeared at the institution. There were special seats in the hall for students who wanted to watch the show. Haruka knew this well and planned from the start that she would at least see what her classmates had to offer this year.

All except, of course, for Naegi-san, who this year is not eligible for the commission. A lucky lot in the lottery gives him immunity this year. However, she was not envious, because next year he will have the task of convincing the commission that he learned something at the school to get promoted to the second grade.

For some, the commission was not held in the hall itself, but in another room that was adapted for the activities that the student would be doing. Asahina-san, who started the whole undertaking, had to had her in the school pool. That seemed entirely logical, considering her talent. With that in mind, there was a huge monitor in the gym that livestreamed events that were happening in other parts of the building. In their class, apart from the swimmer only Kuwata and Owada had their commission outside the gym; for the rest, the accommodation in the main building was adapted.

---

The first two performances passed in the blink of an eye. Asahina-san and Enoshima-san passed their commission without any problems. The swimmer broke another record, and the model did a phenomenal photo shoot.

Next in line was Fujisaki-san, who in her opinion was practically consumed by stress. From the moment he entered the room, he was white as a sheet, and his facial expression clearly indicated worry. He hardly looked at the actions of his predecessors, just nervously perusing the contents of his laptop. When he came on the stage, it was no better. She feared that the boy could faint at any moment. He did not say a word for the first minute of his speech, and it was clear from the faces of the committee that they were becoming impatient. There were also whispers from other students in the room, who also seemed impatient with the anticipation.

She knew how talented he was and that he undoubtedly deserved to study at this school. The problem was only in the speech itself, which, given his profession, should have been no surprise that it was problematic. Fujisaki-san worked alone and it probably never happened before that he had to share his projects publicly, outside of course the virtual sphere.

On one occasion when she was in the library she reached into the school computer where she was going to check if they were writing about her in the media, however when push came to shove she was afraid to type her name into the browser and instead typed in her roommate's name. Just as she suspected, he was very modest in his stories, when in reality, his skills were making a waves. Her search revealed that the boy had been working for some ultra-secretive corporation for some time. Her talent didn't even match his ability and she certainly didn't want him to waste his opportunity.

She decided he needed some motivation. Although she wasn't sure if she could get anything done when the programmer was already on stage.

She desperately needed him to look at her, but he kept his eyes fixed on the floor.

To get his attention, she decided to do something seemingly simple. She quickly took her notebook out of her bag and dropped it to the floor with a loud bang. The action caught the attention of everyone in the audience.

But she got what she wanted.

He turned his eyes on her.

"I'm sorry, it fell out of my hands," she pretended as if it were just an accident. But as she uttered this sentence, she looked directly at the boy in the middle.

With her gaze, she tried to convey as much as she could. The look was to give him comfort.  With a subtle gesture she pointed to herself. She signaled to him that he should speak to her. She wanted him to present his talent to the rest of the school exactly as he had done to her a few weeks earlier. She wasn't sure if Fujisaki-san would even understand what she was talking about, and whether it would even give him any courage, but it was always worth a try.

Just moments later, she noticed that the boy was taking a deep breath and beginning to talk about artificial intelligence. He shifted his gaze between her and his computer screen. After the entire speech, he was accepted, and she breathed a sigh of relief.  To think that more stress was brought to her by his speech than her own. When he took his seat in the audience back, he sent her a warm look. She reciprocated the gesture with a subtle smile and returned to watch the rest of their classmates struggles.

---

When her turn began to approach, she came down from the stands and went to the place that had been designated for her to change. It was a small room with a clothes hanger that had her pre-prepared outfit on it, a mirror and a dressing table with a lamp on it. She quickly changed and headed towards the furniture to do her makeup. She didn't do it on a daily basis but she could do simple make-up if needed. For more demanding make-ups, she would have to prepare herself more or, worse, use the help of a third party. 

Before she started applying products to her face, she took one last look at herself in the mirror. 

Her tanned complexion shone in the bright light of the lamp, her brown eyes were expressionless, and beneath them there were delicate shadows caused by her perpetual lack of sleep. Her lips were small, her nose slightly upturned and her cheekbones high. That emphasized even more the fact that she was thin.  She didn't like to look like a poor version of herself.

After applying makeup, she was pleased with the end result. There are only her unruly hair left. 

Her long dark brown curls, which she usually tied up in a ponytail because it was the easiest way for her to control it, she put it in a coke. “At least the hair is long,” she thought, and got up from the stool by the dresser. The clock pointed to 11:30, which meant that only one person separated her from her performance.

She could still spend the remaining 15 minutes in the locker room. In peace and quiet.

Though she feared she would lose track of time as she usually does, so she simply decided to head back to the gym.

In the end, however, she was waiting for her turn at the very entrance and only after hearing her name she went inside. She stood in the designated spot and when she got the signal to start nothing mattered to her, more than the role she played.

In her performence, she included three scenes that were tailored for a solo performance. The first one involved Mulan presenting herself in a social group. Another featured a song called Reflection. And the last one, when she ran away from home and prepared for the heroine's fight. It was the second that was most crucial for the her, as it also showcased her vocal abilities. She was very identified with the song she was performing. It allowed her to express herself without revealing her true self.

Haruka had hoped that the board would realize that she would be doing it in english. There was no possibility that she would even hum in japanese. It was another of her traumas that limited her significantly. But when she applied to school, she made the language issue clear and it didn't seem to be a problem. It was very important for her that the representatives of the committee, who evaluated her, understood what she was singing about and what the song was trying to convey.

After performing her performance, she noticed a mostly positive reception in the audience, considering the applause she received. In some people she saw stir, and in others even emotion. One of these people, of course, was Fujisaki-san, who was one of the few people who shed tears during her performance. What surprised her was that Ishimaru-san was also among such students.

In relation to the former, it was not only the performance itself that could evoke emotion in him, but also the content of the piece, if of course, Fujisaki-san knew English in a certain degree.

By the time she stepped off the proverbial stage, she had decided to bow down.

Of course, she passed her commission, which meant that the entire class of 78 remained in the set, and she was safe for the next year.

Or so she had hoped...

Chapter 11: Chapter 10

The committee was held on Friday, so there were only two days left to start the classes, and soon they should know their schedule of classes. As per earlier declarations, the stimetable was to be received no later than Saturday morning. Also on that day, another event was to be held in the Kuwat room to celebrate the successful passage of all the recruitment procedures.

Of course, the girl did not miss the information, because the redhead began to announce the message before she even had time to come down from the middle of the gym after her performance.

Haruka was surprised that the boy had once again decided to gather so many people in such a small space. Even with a house party for 10 , cramming so many people is a challenge. The baseball player must have been incredibly extroverted to decide on such an undertaking. She had the impression that over the course of her education, the boy would find more and more reasons to gather the group together for partying.

However, for her parties were associated with crowds, noise, silly jokes and, worst of all, alcohol. It occurred to her more than once that Yasuhiro would be able to provide drinks to the rest of the students because of his age. She definitely didn't want to be a part of this.

Besides she will see them enough throughout all the school years and will probably cherish every moment she gets to take a break from them.

When she got herself in order, she returned to the room, only stopping by a nearby vending machine where she had bought a bar and a packet of salty sticks, because she could not fit in at lunchtime.

Shortly after her, Fujisaki-san also returned to the room; however, he did not sit at his computer as was his custom, but on his bed and began staring at the floor. Although it seemed strange to her, she decided to ignore it and returned to reading the book, which she had only just started.

---

The boy sat in this position for a very long time. She managed to read at least 20 pages, and the programmer still remained in his place with his head down.

“Y-yoshida-san...” he uttered his characteristic whisper.

“Huh?” she replied, but didn’t take her eyes off the reading.

“I wanted to t-thank you,” he continued, this time a little louder.

"Don't mention it," she said casually.

"If it wasn't for you, I might not be here anymore, a-and..."

"You're here because you're smart and talented, and you were able to make that clear to the committee today,"  she glanced up from her book and finally looked at him.

The boy looked the same as he had before his morning appearance, completely pale and shaken. Had the conversation with her caused him so much stress?

When she said he shouldn't be attached to her, she didn't forbid him from speaking to her completely. She felt guilty for making Fujisaki-san afraid of her. Maybe completely ignoring him was a bad idea...

"And it's not my credit but yours. All you needed was ... a little push," she added, softening her gaze and putting the book aside completely. She wanted to make him aware with this gesture that she was now going to devote total attention to their conversation.

"You're very kind...," the boy raised his head and relaxed a little. Blush could be seen on his cheeks.

"Sometimes I am, and sometimes I am a bitch," she looked at him meaningfully. He knew perfectly well that she hadn't treated him fairly in their last conversation, and he was still cordial towards her. "You're always polite."

There was silence in the room, though it did not last long.

"You're very t-talented, too. Your performance was... phenomenal,"

“And you’re telling me I’m being polite?” she asked ironically, in a slightly amused voice.

"I'm not just saying this out of sheer courtesy. I've never seen anything like this in my life. I think you represent emotions perfectly, which allows the audience to be a part of those feelings. Plus, you have tremendous vocal skills. I don't know much about sing, but your voice is...beautiful," he spoke with great emotion. Almost in the same way as when he spoke about his talent. His blushes on his face increased, his eyes seemed to sparkle, and it was all complemented by a wide smile.This time, however, it was she who caused such an expression on his face...

She felt appreciated and understood, and stressed... and suddenly realized that her face was getting hot.

"I can sing something to you sometimes if you like it so much...," she blurt without thinking.

Again, she was crossing a line that she shouldn't have even touched in the first place and worse, she was messing with his head again.  First she was telling him to keep his distance, and now she was offering him something like that. 

He was making her lose her mind...

"I-I... would...like t-that," he barely mumbled. He ran from her sight and his face was already a tomato-like color

"And for the record, I didn't say you were smart and talented just out of politeness, either," she got up and headed to the bathroom to calm down. 

When she looked in the mirror she saw blushes all over her face for the first time in her life. 

What the hell was going on with her? It wasn't like it was the only compliment she'd ever heard.

She rinsed her face with cold water, took a few deep breaths, and once she had regained her balance, she returned to the room. Fujisaki-san didn't move from his seat, but he seemed to have a little control over his emotions, too.

“Fujisaki-san?,” this time she started the next part of the conversation.

"Yes?"

"I don't want you not to talk to me at all, or even worse, to be afraid to talk to me. I just... don't do friendship, and I want you to be aware of that," she decided to make it as clear as she could this time.

“I’ll respect that,” he declared, and his look assured her that he really meant to.

"That's good. I'm glad that we have everything explained..."

"But I d-don’t agree with you,” he interrupted unsurely.

“Well, it couldn’t have gone that easy,” she thought.

"I think you'd be a good friend," he added. He was very naive and certainly didn't realise she was not who she claimed to be.

"I believe you think so," she concluded, and reached back for her book. Before she could open it, however, the conversation continued.

"I've n-noticed that you read a lot," he changed the subject.

"I like to read." "and I don't have much else to do," she added in her head.

"Some time ago I was in the library looking for a book. I read it and it was really interesting. It might interest you...at l-least I think so...," he opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out mentioned before book.

"Show me," she quickly put the reading she was holding in her hands into her backpack next to the bed and reached out for the one Fujisaki-san was talking about. He followed her command and handed her the reading. "Japan Sinks, Sakyo Komatsu," she read aloud.

"Of course he likes to read too," she thought ironically. There weren't that many people in their generation who were interested in literature. Books took off in the age of the internet. "Science fiction huh..,it fits his character," she added in her head.

It wasn't a genre she would first reach for on a shelf full of various works, but in the end she read practically everything. It's important that the book is good, though she also managed to read total craps just for the sake of extra entertainment.

"It might be good. I'll let you know when I'm done," she put the item down on her desk, placing it at the very top of a pile of borrowed books from the library. When she finishes the one she's currently reading, she'll take that one as the next one. "I didn't know you like to read."

"I usually read on my computer. I certainly don't consume as many books as you do, but I like to divert my attention from programming from time to time," he concluded with a nervous giggle. That would explain why she hadn't noticed it sooner. At that point, realization dawned on her.

"You, too, chose literature as your additional subject, didn't you?," she asked to confirm her assumptions.

"That's true. This means that this is the second subject that we will be attending together, apart from the obligatory ones...," in response, she only raised an eyebrow in surprise and directed a questioning look at him. "I also chose music because I didn't know what to choose in the end. As I mentioned earlier, physical fitness is not my best side, so any classes in this area were no longer an option. I think music is a slightly simpler subject than, for example, art, in which my skills are also rather poor..."

"From what I've observed from the classes I've been to, it's mostly music theory, so it doesn't seem overly difficult. Only extremely boring..."she extended the last syllable to highlight the level of nuisance she had been subjected to during her classes, and to think that the boy had chosen them of his own free will.

"You're going to have enough of me," she joked, reaching for the backpack into which she had earlier threw the book. She began to rummage through it to extract the object. She had to clean up the mess in her bag, because it was getting harder and harder to find anything there.

"I doubt it," the statement was uttered practically under her nose, though she understood it perfectly.

His statement so distracted her that much that she dropped her backpack and some of its contents fell on the middle of the floor. 

"Although the book was found," she thought. 

Unfortunately, in addition to the reading she wanted, there was also a borrowed flashlight on the floor, and to her detriment, Fujisaki-san quickly rushed to help her pick up her belongings and kept his eyes on this particular object.

"Well, it's a good thing. I forgot to return this to you earlier. It must have fallen into my backpack by accident, and I must have forgotten about it," she mentioned inconspicuously.

"You can keep it," he said, handing her the object.

"There's no need. I..."

"I've noticed before that you carry it with you when one day in the cafeteria fell out of your p-pocket," suddenly, he interrupted her. He had known about this for some time and was aware that the "incident" she had just made up was only an excuse. He caught her lying, and she had no idea how to get out of it. "You don't have to explain anything to me, just keep it, please. I don't need it anyway," he looked at her gently with a smile, practically putting a flashlight in her hand.

The fact that he used her own words made her laugh and took a bit of stress out of her.

"Okay, thank you," she tucked the item into her pocket and together they collected the rest of the contents from the floor.

Then each of them went back to their own business.

To her delight, nothing more suspicious came out of the backpack. She was very grateful to Fujisaki-san for respecting her privacy.

It seemed that this time she got away again.

Or at least until the next day...

---

As announced on Saturday morning, their timetable was already in the secretary office. After receiving it, she found no errors and had no objections.

In the evening, Fujisaki-san decided to stop by for a moment at a party organized by Kuwata, because he had already promised Ashainia-san that he would show up. However, he didn't seem too thrilled about this and just before leaving he asked Haruka if she was sure she didn't want to go either.

"I'll pass. It's not my thing, but you have fun," he heard in response.

The girl sat on the bed and scribbled in her notebook, satisfied that she was not condemned to such torture.

Theoretically, Fujisaki-san wasn't either, though as she noted his assertiveness isn't his strong suit.

The programmer left after 8pm, which gave her the perfect time to take at least an hour's nap. Haruka hadn't had a chance to blink her eye for the past few days, which left her barely aware of what was going on around her.

In the situation she was in now, controlled sleep was the best option for her. She set her alarm clock for at least 5 alarms every 5 minutes to wake her up after 2 hours of napping, unless of course the nightmare wasn't first to wake her up.

Previously, the last thing she would do would be lie down to sleep of her own volition, however, she knew that in the situation she found herself in, sooner or later she would faint from fatigue at the least expected moment. 

Shortly after the boy left the room, Haruka put down her notebook and changed her sitting position to a lying one. She leaned against the wall and covered herself with a duvet. At first, she had a huge problem falling asleep, but after a while she finally managed to do so.

---

It was a lazy Saturday. She sat in her pajamas on the white, soft carpet in her room. She wrote down in her notebook ideas that would come in handy when writing her songs . Her favorite playlist was flying in the background, and there were posters of her favorite artists on the walls: Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Beyonce, Jenifer Lopez, Kumi Kōda, Hamasaki Ayumi. Right next to her was a box of chocolates, from which she would occasionally pull out one of the treats. It was getting late, and soon she would probably have to go to bed, otherwise her mother would not be happy.

When the clock struck 22pm everything in the room began to change. The light went out, making the room completely dark. Instead of on a warm carpet, she was now on a cold bed. She was lying on her stomach on the edge of the bed, her legs slightly dangling but not touching the ground. The door behind her slid open, and a distinctive smell of whiskey began to float in the air. She tried to turn around to see who was coming into the room, but she couldn't. She tried hard to move, but her body completely froze. A figure from behind the corridor began to approach her, and she began to feel fear. Suddenly, a cold hand slipped down the bottom of her pyjamas. Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She tried to scream, but she couldn't. She began to tremble. She heard the sound of unzipping pants, and then felt icy hands on her buttocks. Moments later, her body went through a piercing pain...

---

"S-stop!," she yelled. "I beg you to stop this!," she screamed through her tears. "Don't t-touch me!"

The room was dark, which led her to even more hysterics. She had no idea where she was. She broke out of bed and began crawling across the floor in search of the nearest free piece of wall. When she managed to do so, she leaned against it and pulled her knees to herself, curling up. She also began to clench her right hand into a fist with all her might. She was completely shaken and sobbing loudly, having trouble breathing.

Suddenly the light in the room came on, and she nervously, still with tears in her eyes, began to look at the space that surrounded her. When her eyes appeared completely terrified, Fujisaki-san sitting on his bed, she knew where she was and what had just happened.

She looked at the clock, it was 1 a.m. She was trying to think back to when she went to bed and, most importantly, why none of the alarm clocks woke her.

She was probably asleep and turned off the device. Apparently 5 alarm clocks were not enough.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry," she began wiping away her tears. "It's so embarrassing, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to wake you up like that," she began to wobble from the floor as she was still a little shaken.

"Yoshida-san...y-you...bleeding..." that was the only thing the boy was able to get out of himself after witnessing the earlier incident.

After she managed to get up from the ground, she looked at her hand from which the blood flowed in accordance with the programmer's observation. She also noticed traces of blood on the floor near where she was sitting. In addition, a red substance was also on her clothes and probably her face as she wiped tears from it with her injured hand.

She was not at all surprised that Fujisaki-san was so terrified, because the scene looked like it was from a horror movie.

"I'm sorry for the mess. I'll be cleaning it up in a minute. Only the first thing I'm going to do is clean myself up," she avoided eye contact because she was so embarrassed. 

She struggled to move towards the wardrobe. The event left her extremely weak and caused her a lot of dizziness. But she couldn’t leave it like that, she had to get it together.

"Maybe I can h-help you..."

"Thank you, I'll be fine. Just stay where you are until I clean up," she still didn't look at him. With a healthy hand, she pulled clean clothes from the furniture and went to the bathroom.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, tears began to well in her eyes again. She looked exactly as she felt, which was horrible. Her hair was all sweaty and messy. She was completely pale, her eyes were extremely swollen and in the middle of the eye you could see a slightly broken blood vessels.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. They mingled with those already dried on her face and with the blood that came from her right hand. There were fresh wounds on her limb, from which blood was seeping out, and old ones that were scratched and pus come out of it.

She couldn't count how many scars she'd accumulated over the years on such a small stretch of skin, but there were probably a lot of them. Often, though, she didn't have time to look at them, because the old damage was quickly covered by the new ones.

She imagined herself smashing the mirror in anger and then stabs herself with its shrapnels. She didn't have the strength to go through it over and over again. But she didn’t have enough strength to fulfill her fantasy either.

Besides, the last thing she wanted was for Fujisaki-san to find her dead in the bathroom. It was enough that he was forced to watch her "performance". "Fujisaki-san..." she thought, recalling his horror. She had no idea how to explain herself to him now.

The first thing she had to do was get into the shower. Once inside, she turned on the water. It was dripping on her for a good few minutes, and she was unable to even look at herself, let alone touch.  Because she felt disgusted even at her own touch, washing her body was very difficult for her. After experiencing a nightmare like this, it seemed practically impossible.

She started to feel weak, leaned against the wall and unwittingly slipped down. She felt that she was starting to lose air, and her vision was beginning to blur. As she slowly began to swim away, she turned on a faucet that changed the temperature of the water flowing from the shower head. The sudden cold that swept through her body revived her a little.

After a while, she returned to a standing position and turned off the water supply. She wasn't able to scrub herself, but at least the water fluishe the blood and maybe a little sweat out of her. 

When she calmed down even more and wiped away, making sure only the towel was in contact with her skin, she started running around the bathroom, where she assumed there must be some kind of first aid kit. 

So far, she has not needed to dress her hand during her time at the academy. The damage wasn't usually severe enough to require it. This time she had no option but to do otherwise because the wound was too deep. When she finally found the kit she wanted, she set to work. 

The first thing she did was pour the wound with oxidized water to clean it. Although she had a very high pain tolerance, this experience was not pleasant even for her. But it did not hold to the feeling she felt in her nightmare...

After disinfecting her hand, she wrapped it clumsy with a bandage and changed into pajamas.

She didn’t comb her wet hair, even though she should, because she knew what would happen to her hair the next day. It took too long when she had a "fully functional" right hand. She preferred not to even wonder how long it would take her with the left one.

Before leaving the bathroom, she took with her a paper towel and a spray of some cleaning product that she managed to find in the cupboard under the sink.

Before she pulled the handle, she looked once more in the mirror. She didn't look much better, though for that moment it must have been enough. She took a deep breath and left the room.

Chapter 12: Chapter 11

To her surprise, the boy didn't actually move from his seat. When she entered the room, he instantly turned his attention to her. He was clearly distressed, and his look symbolized something she was most trying to avoid: compassion. She didn't want to be seen as a victim, she didn't want his pity...

For a moment, she decided to ignore him completely and just get on with cleaning up what was on the floor. Thank goodness the wall was untouched because cleaning it would have been more problematic. 

While she scrubbed the floor, Fujisaki-san watched her in silence. 

As soon as she realized there was no trace of the blood, she had to face the consequences of her negligence. She felt too confident and that ultimately led to her downfall. If only she hadn't turned off that fucking alarm clock, this situation wouldn't have happened.

"Once again, I am very sorry for what happened and for worrying you, especially at such a late hour," she stood in front of the boy and bowed low. "Can we just forget that this situation ever happened?," she added before her roommate could ask anything.

"Yes...," he replied after a moment of hesitation. But the pity in his eyes remained.

"Thank you," she managed to conjure a slight smile out of herself. She headed for her bed, but just in front of it she froze and was unable to get into it. The memories began to come back to her again, and she began to feel suffocated.

“Are y-you all right?,” Fujisaki-san’s voice pulled her out of a trance.

"Yes," she turned in the direction of her interlocutor. "I was just making sure I didn't get my bedding dirty too," she forced herself to smile again. "You don't have to worry," she added at the very end, and forced herself to sit down. 

She turned on her night light, settled into a lying position and covered herself with a duvet. "You can turn off the light and go back to sleep. I hope you can get some more sleep."

He turned off his light according to her command and also changed his position to lying down. There was silence in the room, although, as was their custom, not for long.

"Y-yoshida-san?," when she heard her name, she was afraid that the boy would not let go so easily.

“Yes?,” she tried to make her answer sound as calm as possible, when she was really all nerve-wracking.

"I want you to know that you have nothing to apologize for and nothing to be ashamed of."

She replied to him with only a brief look, not wanting to get into an argument with him. No matter what he said to her, she felt humiliated anyway. But there was nothing more she could do then trying to push the event out of her subconscious.

"Good night, Fujisaki-san."

"G-good night."

She stared at the ceiling and counted the dots on it in her imagination. She wanted to divert her attention from the fact that she was lying on the bed.

When she was sure that the boy had fallen asleep, she got up, put on the sweatshirt she had kept under the bed on her pyjamas, pulled out a black fingerless glove from her backpack, which she sometimes used to cover the deep wounds on her hand, and quietly left the room. 

She spent the rest of the night in the instrument room. She sat there on the floor, leaning against the wall, and initially humming a well-known melody.

"I'm so hopeless..." was running through her head.

"Why the fuck did you do this to me?" she whispered to herself. 

She banged her head against the wall to prop it up against its hard structure and plunged into despair...

---

She returned to her room at 7 a.m. while Fujisaki-san was still asleep. She changed her clothes and sat quietly at her desk, book in hand. It was a reading she had received the previous day from the programmer.

It was only 250 pages long, so she should have finished it before lunch started. When she had consumed about half the contents, the boy woke up. His behavior was not out of the ordinary, he acted as if nothing had happened.

For a moment, she began to wonder whether he thought that what had happened that night was just a dream. Though as she began to slowly approach the end of the book, he led her out of the error.

"How’s your h-hand...?” he asked, looking at a piece of material on her limb. 

Recalling the injure, she realised how her theory had no right to exist from the start. Her hand betrayed everything...

"It's fine," she replied without hesitation, still keeping her nose in the book.

In theory, it wasn't a lie, as long as she could move it, she thought it was OK. For the boy, however, it probably wasn't so obvious and he didn't know how to react to the response he just heard. It was clear that he was going to leave and he didn't quite know how to end their conversation.

"I'm almost done with the book," she changed the subject as not to embarrass him even more. "I like it. When I'm done, I'll put it on your desk." 

To her surprise, the reading really interested her. The author presented a dystopian, alternative reality very well, focusing primarily on the events rather than the characters. It was an extraordinary measure that certainly caught her attention. It is possible that if the book had been longer the subject would have become boring over time and the plot would have turned out to be too shallow, but the number of pages in her opinion was perfectly good and even though she hadn't yet reached the end, she was already slightly underwhelmed. Although she preferred too little over too much when it came to literary works.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it...," the worried expression disappeared from his face for a moment, replaced by a gentle smile and blushes on his cheeks. " I g-guess...I'll see you later..."

"See you." After she answered, the boy disappeared behind the door.

Just as Fujisaki-san shuttled between their room and the school building throughout the day, she did not for a moment emerge from their living quarters. What's more, she barely moved from her chair. Until the very evening, she sat at her desk. She didn't eat anything, either, because she had no appetite at all.

---

Classes began at 8 a.m. After 7:20 a.m., Fujisaki-san was still getting ready and amazingly, she was ready to leave. However, she decided to wait for her roommate since they had classes together anyway.

The boy was finishing his make-up, and because he was in such a hurry, he left the bathroom door open so Haruka could watch him struggle with it. His skills in this area were not bad but she had already noticed that one element could definitely be perfected. 

Not that she was an expert in this field, she herself practically did not use cosmetics at all, but her profession taught her some useful tricks within characterization.

"False eyelashes,” she suddenly said without context.

"False eyelashes,? asked the flustered programmer, who had no idea what exactly the girl meant.

"Remember when you asked me what you could do to improve the appearance of the female present?"

"Yes..."

"False eyelashes," she repeated it and started heading towards the bathroom where the boy was."Admittedly, a lot of women don't wear them at all, although once you want to use them it's definitely not that way. Definitely too much glue and definitely you sticking them too close."

Fujisaki-san looked in the mirror and began to stare at his eyes.

"They never want to stick to a smaller amount of glue...I've watched a lot of tutorials on the internet about it, but the best I've ever been able to get is this...," he confessed resigned.

"Take them off. I'll show you my trick," she commanded, leaning against the frame of the bathroom door.

The boy followed her instruction and put the removed lash strands in the sink, waiting for further instructions. However, to his surprise, Haruka took them out of the sink and threw them in a nearby bin.

"These will no longer be useful to us."

"Right..."

From his make-up bag, she pulled out glue and a box from which she took out a new batch of lashes. She knew she shouldn't be digging into his stuff without permission, though time was running out, and the programmer didn't seem to work well under the pressure of time. For her, it was a day like any other.

"Always better to use less glue than more," she held a tweezer with a clump of eyelashes in one hand, while she applied a thin layer of glue to their base with the other. "See that thin line? That's pretty much what I mean. You also need to be careful that the glue doesn't come into contact with your eyelashes," she demonstrated, then began to blow lightly on the previously applied glue.

The next step was to stick them on, but this would have required her to get even closer to him, and even some form of touch. Her first thought was to show him the application on herself, but given that she didn't like false eyelashes and only wore them when she needed them for characterisation, she would have wasted their time and a product that didn't even belong to her.

The second idea was for the boy to try to apply them himself according to her instructions, although this too seemed to be missing the point. As he himself said, he had tried many times and the result was just as poor. Plus, translation wasn't her strong suit. It looked like she was going to have to sacrifice herself...

“Can I?” she asked, taking a step closer, lifting the tweezer slightly upward.

“O-of course...,” he stuttered out hesitantly, and a flush appeared on his face.

When he said yes, she took a few more steps towards him, so that she stood just inches from his face. She didn't remember ever standing so close to anyone.

"I'll try not to poke your eye out," she joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere, which seemed very dense for some reason. In response, she received a slight smile, which was still accompanied by blush. The boy stared at her softly with his brown irises. Up close, they seemed even prettier. "But you have to close it so I don't actually do that."

"A-ah, you're right, I'm sorry...," the boy again did what she asked, and she decided to ignore the fact of the apology that came out of his mouth and the fact that she liked the way he looked at her way too much.

"You put the eyelashes on your own, not your skin," she performed her actions in such a way that he was able to look closely at them with his other eye. "On the eyelids will certainly not stick," she added jokingly.

After applying the lashes, she moved to the side so that Fujisaki-san could see the final effect freely. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, as a slight sigh of shock fell from the boy's mouth.

"Wow, it looks so much better now. Thank you, Yoshida-san."

"Now it's your turn to glue the other one," she said, handing him the tweezer.

The programmer insecure took the item in hand, although other than applying clumps of eyelashes to it, his actions didn't go any further.

It was only when he received a motivating look from her he started applying eyelashes. He followed her instructions, which led to the effect being very similar to the one in the other eye. The only difference was that in his performance the eyelash on one side slightly unglued.

Haruka signaled for the boy to pass her the tweezer. She applied a little glue to it, and in the place where the clump didn't stick, gently pressed it with a fresh layer of glue.

"See? You have an innate talent,' she put the item down on the sink and she gave him a warm look as he looked at himself in the mirror. 

She returned to the room and reached for her backpack, seeing that it was am 7:40 on the clock. There was still plenty of time for her, though she assumed it was pretty late for the boy. Fujisaki-san quickly gathered all the items from the sink, and hurriedly grabbed his bag.

After leaving the room, they walked down the corridor in silence. But when they were in the elevator, the boy broke it.

"Thank you again."

"Don't mention it. As I said, fake eyelashes aren't that popular. I only know how to wear them because I was taught it in a theatre class. My mum didn't wear them, and I guess yours doesn't either, so how would you learn? Tutorials aren't usually that accurate in reality.

"I don't really know if my mum wore false eyelashes, she died a long time ago...," his voice was quiet, but he didn't seem sad to her. He sounded very calm. She suspected that since he used the phrase "a long time ago" he had time to deal with it.

"That's another thing we have in common then...," a distinctive sound came out of the speaker that signalled that they were already on the ground floor. "Mine is dead too," she informed him, as if she was talking about the weather.

The elevator door opened, and their ears were immediately attacked by the loud yelp of the students in the link. She hurried out of the elevator, with Fujisaki-san right behind her, trying to keep up her pace. The conversation broke off, and none of them tried to return to it for the rest of the way to the classroom door. The boy probably expected them to exchange condolences, though it seemed silly to her. She didn’t understand where this custom came from. After all, the words didn't change anything anyway, and at a time when their experiences were similar, it seemed even more absurd to her.

---

When they entered the classroom, most of the students were already sitting in their seats. Some were missing, but there were still a few minutes to go before classes began, so it didn't seem strange to her. At her bench, she was greeted by Ishimaru-san, who was in a very good mood. She guessed that this was probably due to the fact that classes had finally begun. The boy was very obligatory, and school was very important to him.

Fujisaki-san, on the other hand, was accosted by Asahina-san, who dragged him to her bench next to which stood Ogami-san, Enoshima-san, and Ikusaba-san, who were engrossed in conversation.

At the back of the class Owada could be seen lying on his bench, clearly asleep. Nearby, Kuwata was telling Maizono something with great commitment, holding her hand. Togami was reading a book when Fukawa stared at him with enchantment. Kirigiri-san, in turn, stared out of the window and seemed not to care about what was going on around her. Just before the teacher entered the room herself Ludenberg-san entered the room, and right next to her was Yamada-san, who appeared to be holding her purse in his hand. When the gambler took her seat, he handed her the object he had previously held in his hand and went to sit on his bench where he began to salivate at the girl like some dog from afar. Moments later, Hagakure was in the room and a completely breathless Naegi-san, who was clearly running to the class.

One-sensei began the class by congratulating the successful passage of the committee and handing out each of the students a huge bag filled with books and notebooks, needed for their chosen activities.

After each bench had a stack of educational materials, the teacher declared that they had to choose a class president who would represent them for the next 4 years in the academy.

"Would anyone like to submit their candidacy? Or would somebody like to nominate someone who will be right for that kind of the job. You've got to know each other a little bit over the past month."

Barely One-sensei had finished her statement, and Ishimaru-san raised his hand up. Haruka, in turn, refrained from laughing to the last sentence said by their teacher. 

"Got to know a little bit," she repeated the woman's words in her head. The only things she got to know during that time were the layout of the bookshelves in the library and the acoustics of the music room. She suspected that many of her classmates probably didn't even know her name.

"I would like to apply for this position!" the red-eyed man rose from his seat and stood at attention.

"Nerd," interposed with an artificial hawk Hagakure, amusing a few people in the room.

"All right, but you can sit down, Ishimaru-san,” she smiled softly at the black-haired man, then scolded the boy with dreadlocks for his unfavorable comment. "I need at least one more volunteer so we can vote," she declared, looking around the room for potential candidates. Unsurprisingly no one else was interested in the function of class representative.

"Since Ishimaru-san has already volunteered, can’t we just leave it like that?,” said Asahina-san.

"Unfortunately, I have to fulfill the formalities, and that means that the choice has to be made between two people."

"In this case, it is enough for anyone to submit their candidacy and we'll all just vote for Ishimaru-san," to everyone's surprise, Kirigiri-san took the floor.

The girl was more of a loner type and stayed on the sidelines. Although she could sometimes be seen in the cafeteria with other girls from their class, rumors suggested that she was not involved in the social life.

"Indeed," Lundeberg-san agreed with her.

"Or maybe I don't want someone like that to perform this function?," Togami, who as usual was unhappy, broke out.

"No one prevents you from submitting Togami-san,” Sakura-san replied, which was also immediately supported by Ashaina-san and Enoshima-san.

" Certainly...master Togami... would perform this function perfectly...," joined the discussion Fukawa, for whom it was also unusual behavior.

Haruka had often seen the writer in the library over the past month, although she had never once heard a word out of her mouth. As could be inferred from her statement, the girl was, for some strange reason, fascinated by the Togami.

"I'm not going to waste my precious time on mob," he replied dismissively and adjusted his glasses.

"Mob?!," repeated after him indignant Enoshima-san.

"Dude, such comments are not ok," Kuwata's voice came from the back of the classroom.

“Who do you think you are?” Enoshima-san spoke again, her anger turned now to rage.

"I think we should all keep calm and...," Ishimaru-san tried to be the voice of reason in this whole discussion.

"I submit the candidacy of Makoto Naegi," unexpectedly said Maizono, interrupting the moral commas.

"H-huh?!," groan induced boy.

"We know each other from middle school and I think Naegi-san is neutral and friendly so he would be a perfect fit for this role. In addition, as we have said before, we need to select someone one way or the other," Maizono continued.

"It seems reasonable," concluded Kirigiri-san.

"Perfect, then I’ll give you the cards and we can start voting,” said the teacher, who had so far only passively watched the students’ heated discussions.

Haruka thought their silly verbal barbs would never end. Thank goodness Owada didn't have time to fire up during the discussion, because Kuwata didn't wake him until they were about to vote. t was amazing that the gangster was able to nap in the noise and, perhaps most bizarrely, wasn't chastised by Ishimaru-san for his behavior. Apparently, the boy was so absorbed in the election that he didn't even notice his roommate was reclining on his bench.

When everyone voted, the teacher immediately recounted the votes cast. The verdict, however, turned out not to be what some might expect.

"Makoto Naegi, representative of the class 78, was elected by a margin of five votes," One-sensei said.

Chapter 13: Chapter 12

The results caused a stir among the students. Some were certainly very pleased with the turnaround. Ishimaru-san himself seemed disappointed though he immediately congratulated his "competitor" and wished him luck.

Naegi-san himself seemed to be in shock. He was clearly inconsolable that he had been made a scapegoat just because some in the class didn’t like the moral compass and preferred to choose someone else instead.

For Haruka, it was yet another childish behavior from her classmates. They knew Ishimaru-san cared about the role and decided to do so just to spite him.

She wasn't even surprised that it was Maizono who put Naegi-san in such a situation. Probably the girl wanted the class president to be favorable to her, and Ishimaru-san, despite his friendly attitude, always puts his principles first. Of course, this was just speculation, after all, Haruka didn't want to accuse anyone of anything.

However, the decision was taken and there was nothing to cry over the spilled milk. Despite the boy’s initial protests, at the urging of the crowd, the lucky student eventually agreed to take the position.

---

She only shared dance classes with Maizono. Apparently no one in their class had a love for this activity enough to choose it as their extra subject. Just as Haruka knew exactly what to expect, Maizono seemed completely off the boat. She didn't even know where the locker room. However, the actress wasn’t surprised because she hadn’t seen the singer at any dance or music classes in the last month.Didn't the girl care? 

After getting dressed, they found themselves in a large room with a huge mirror. Haruka already knew it well. They were greeted by faces, with whom she had become familiar during the observation of the classes.

Of course, she saw the widest smile on the face of Komaeda, who also participated in these classes. As she managed to find out he is also a lucky person selected in the lottery only from the class above and as could be seen he has a passion for subjects of musical and artistic nature.

As she came to know, a couple of people scrolled through both classes from her specialty in music. A few people could be seen at both classes with her specialty in music. Saionji-san, who was a dancer, Tomatsu-san, the ultimate clown, who she also saw in gymnastics classes, and Kisaragi-san, a hockey player and  student council secretary, who, like Komaeda, chose these subjects in addition. She also recognized Owari-san and surfer Okamura-san, from gymnastics. 

The classes were quick and painless. The teacher primarily focused on introducing them to the material that is being reworked in the lesson, and later verified their skills. As she might have guessed, Maizono was more experienced, due to her talent, though Ogura-sensei said she also saw potential in Haruka. She always thought she had two left feet and her mobility was very limited, so that was a surprise. Maybe the teacher just wanted to be nice.

---

Over lunch, she and Ishimaru-san discussed an English textbook, which the boy had already verified since receiving it in the morning. Due to the fact that the subject in question was to start just after the break, the topic turned on itself. The textbook seemed to contain very high-level material, or at least that's how the moral compass portrayed it. The boy didn't mention a word about the morning election, and she herself didn't want to start the topic either, because she thought it might be sensitive to him.

On the way to the classroom, Ishimaru-san showed her all the evacuation signs they had passed. Although she wouldn't despise the quiet walk, she was pleased that the boy took the burden of the conversation off her because he was conducting the monologue himself.

When they crossed the threshold of the room, Ishimaru-san was in the process of explaining the difference between a powder fire extinguisher and a foam fire extinguisher. After a while, the voice of Kuwat could be heard spreading around the room.The baseball player began to mimic the moral compass. His behavior clearly amused his companions, Owada and Hagakure.

"It's probably the only foam he'll ever see in his life," he added to his over-the-top response. Clearly he intended for all those gathered to get his message.

"This knowledge is necessary in the event of a fire, and I think it is important that you familiarize yourself with it, Kuwata-san," replied Ishimaru-san, who ignored or did not understand his interlocutor’s suggestion.

"Are you going to try to extinguish the hot chick that way?' he continued mockingly, barely holding back from laughing. His two companions, on the other hand, were completely red and they cried with laughter.

"Don’t be a lout Kuwata,” Asahina-san said, which was followed by the immediate voices of Enoshima-san and Ogami-san supporting her statement.

"Just stating the facts," Kuwata dug in his heels.

"Do you have a problem?," Haruka turned to the redhead and threw her backpack near her bench.

"Come on Yoshida, you can see there's something wrong with the guy," the boy rolled his eyes.

"Something wrong with him?', she laughed. "At least he's not a stupid jerk who makes a living out of mocking others and is genuinely trying to do something useful," she took two slow steps in his direction. "As far as I know, he has spoken to me about this and I do not need your childish comments on this matter. I advise you not to interfere in my affairs in the future," she growled and stared at him with a cold eye, then turned around and sat down on her bench.

The redhead was speechless. He was probably shocked that Haruka had even raised her voice on the matter. Besides, it wasn't just his face that was visible in surprise, much of the class clearly shared his reaction. She had never spoken on the forum before, let alone got into verbal skirmishes with other students, but what they were doing in relation to moral compass was already excessive.

"What’s now Kuwata? Did you lost your tongue?," Enoshima-san mocked him.

"The girl had to explain you properly so you could finally learn to hold your tongue," the Asahina-san added. "And you," she now turned to Owada and Hagakure. "You should be ashamed."

"You can't take a joke," mumbled the redhead, and the clairvoyant rolled his eyes and patted his colleague on the back. 

The motorcyclist looked as if he wanted to address the conversation, but he couldn’t because the teacher came into the room.

---

"Thank Yoshida-san for interceding on my behalf," Ishimaru-san said after the lesson. "However, I would prefer to resolve such disputes in a more diplomatic manner in the future."

"In a more diplomatic way huh?," she repeated in her head. In her opinion, she was quite gentle on Kuwata. She could definitely have used harsher words if she wanted to.

"Don't let them get to you Ishimaru-san. You don't have get along perfectly with everyone. The most important thing is that they respect you," she tried to talk the red-eyed to reason. "I suspect eventually they'll get bored of the banter and leave you alone," she began to pack her things and get ready to leave. Next direction: acting.

"During adolescence, integration with the peer group is very beneficial for further development, so I would like us all to remain in the best possible relations," almost recited Ishimaru-san.

He must have read this information in one of his thousands of textbooks. She had no longer the strength to explain to him that it was not worth wasting time on them.

"Maybe you should focus on people you get along with better,” Fujisaki-san interjected. "I think this way... you'll get the best results."

After a moment's thought, the moral compass instantly beamed. He looked as if he had suddenly been dazzled.

"You're right, Fujisaki-san. Thank you for your valuable insight," that statement dawned on him. "In that case, I wish you both a successful learning experience and see you tomorrow," he said goodbye and left the room with a smile on his face. Maybe now the boy won't be trying so hard to please everyone around him.

"Well done," she praised the programmer. "You did much better than me."

"It was you who stood up earlier...," he began quietly, staring at the floor. "I t-think it was really cool...," he seemed to be very impressed.

The boy also gathered his things and they left the room together.

"I kind of regret that I treated him so gently," she shared her thoughts as they walked down the corridor. "But I don’t know if it would be so great for Ishimaru-san, who would like to handle it even more “diplomatically” if I would started cursing in my speech."

"I don't think Ishimaru-san even thought that you could use vulgarities. There are probably no such words in his dictionary at all..."

"You don't curse either. Or at least you're masking well," she joked, bringing a smile to his face.

"I'm not in the habit of cursing," he agreed with her. "But I don't mind when others curse, at least not in a small amount."

At the end of the corridor, Fujisaki-san let her through the passage, as he used to. They were now in the link, heading to the elevator, where they will go in their own direction.

"I think it's a good habit, which I definitely miss," she pressed the button and leaned against a piece of wall near the elevator waiting for their transport to go down. There was a break so the building was quite crowded. A lot of people were moving in different directions, which made her feel anxious. In that position, she felt a little shielded.

"I didn’t notice that you used a lot of vulgarities,” the boy said after a moment’s thought.

"Yet," she pointed out, to which the programmer laughed slightly.

The elevator door opened and, to her delight, only the two of them entered the cramped space. Fujisaki-san pressed button 4 and looked at her inquiringly, leaving his hand by the panel of buttons.

"I'm getting off at 6," she said, and the boy pointed to her button. Soon after, the elevator was on the 4th floor.

"So I'll see y-you later...?," his statement seemed to be between a question and an uncertain assertion. It amused her a little because as roommates, it was inevitable that they would see each other again.

"Chances are high, unless you’re not going back to the room today,” she concluded, to which Fujisaki-san managed to answer her with a broad smile as the elevator door closed behind him.

---

The acting classes were also mostly organizational. This year, the mainly lessons will focus on monologues and improvisations. For Haruka it was a very convenient material, although for people who wanted to develop their acting skills there it was rather small.

Presumably the organization of the classes stemmed from the fact that only few people attended the classes. From what she learned, it was a perennial problem at Hopes Peak on multiple subjects. She heard that it was not uncommon for an subject to be opened to only one person. Despite having huge contacts, skilled staff and high-quality equipment, the school does not have the capacity to influence interest in the field. 

For the fact that there were only 65 pupils in the school, the four people involved in acting were not a small group anyway. Of those, two chose the subject additionally. Chiba-san, a lottery winner in the class of 76, and Mitarai-san, an animator in the class of 77th B. She and Tomatsu-san, with whom she shared many school subjects, were of course, here out of duty. To think that she had the most in common with the profession of a clown.

The last thing that happened to her that day was cooking, which turned out to be the biggest disappointment. Throughout the class, she was supposed to read safety rules and the organization of the station, while the rest of the students were preparing a dish which name she couldn’t even pronounce.

When she had the opportunity to observe classes earlier, two people caught her attention the most, and not in a positive way. Hanamura, a chef in the class above, and Ando a confectioner in the third year. This time was no different. Most of the students were preparing the previously mentioned dish in peace, so these two obviously had to make their presence known in the kitchen.

In Ando's case, these were just minor tartnesss towards other class participants, expressed in a very sugary way ss befits her talent. She suspected that the girl was trying to hide the negative comments in the form of an alleged desire to help. Of course, each time she emphasized how talented she was. The confectioner didn't suit Haruka's taste, but she wasn't dangerous. 

However, the same could not be said for Hanamura. She would have preferred to stay at least 100 yards away from him.The boy endlessly harasses other students and touches them without any warning. In addition, he sexualizes everything around him and speaks loudly about it all the time. During their first interaction, the boy grabbed her hand with both hands and tried to put it to his face. Fortunately, he didn't make it, as she quickly snatched her hand and bounced away from him right away. She then made it clear to him that he was supposed to keep his paw close to him. He was an incredibly disgusting man in her eyes.

---

When she returned to her room, she found Fujisaki-san at his computer. He must have finished class earlier than she did, because he was already changed from his school uniform. After taking off her shoes and throwing her jacket on the chair, she immediately flopped onto the bed. When she was in a lying position it was only then that she realised just how tired she really was. The nearly 10 hours she spent with people definitely put her through it.

She had to find a something to do now. Reading wasn't the best idea because it would only make her even more tired. Writing or even playing the piano was definitely off the table too, because her hand was barely alive.

She looked at her sore limb, which still had a black glove on it, which she hadn't taken off since yesterday. Slight reddish spots began to seep through the material. "Maybe if I wash the wound and change the bandage, my hand will be useful for something today," she thought. 

So far, she has distanced herself from the whole event and tried not to pay attention to her hand. However, she didn't want to cause herself even more problems as a result of the infection. Firstly, she definitely needed that hand and secondly she didn't have health insurance. 

She went into the bathroom and started trying to remove the glove, which was already slightly sticking to the dressing. When she finally succeeded, she began trying to unwrap the bandage, which was already completely soaked in blood and pus. The first approach was not very fruitful. Because she tied the bandage into a tight suspender, she was now unable to undo it, especially with one hand. On the other hand the attempts to tear the material from the skin by force only caused her immense pain. The only thing that came to mind was using scissors, which were in the first aid kit. 

Of course, she hadn’t prepared it before, but first began to struggle with her wrapped hand. As a result, she now had to use one hand to pull the needed item out of the cupboard in which she hurriedly threw it in after its last use. 

She began rummaging with her left hand in the furniture in search of the needed box, as she held up the injured hand, with a slightly damaged bandage because she didn't want to get anything dirty. After grabbing the first aid kit, she wobbly began to remove it from the narrow cabinet. Just when she thought she had succeeded, the object fell out of her hand on the floor and its contents were scattered all over the bathroom with a pretty big bang.

"Fuck," she let out irritated. It may not have been a scream, but Fujisaki-san could certainly hear her from the room.

She had had enough. She was exhausted, her hand was only hurting worse than it had been before, and she had made a mess again. If only she had taken out the fucking first aid kit and then taken the time to change the bandage this situation wouldn't have happened at all. Why did she have to be so scatterbrained. 

"Yoshida-san, are y-you all right?," from the room came the voice of her roommate, who seemed to be worried about the noise from the bathroom.

She opened the door where a upset Fujisaki-san was standing.

"I will live. I dropped it when I tried to change the dressing," she responded in a resigned voice. She didn't even want to pretend anymore. The boy was already aware that something was clearly wrong with her anyway.

She opened the door a little wider and demonstrated to the programmer the current look of their bathroom. Without saying anything, he entered the room and began to pick up scattered items from the floor.

"You didn't have to..." she paused in half, then let out a quiet sigh. She walked up to him and started helping him clean."I'm a shity roommate," she declared, throwing into the box everything she managed to gather with one hand.

"I think you're too harsh on yourself," he said, not for a moment distracting himself from the action. She did not respond to him and also remained at her previous occupation. When they managed to collect everything, Fujisaki-san noticed her torn dressing.

"Maybe.. I can... help you somehow...?," he asked hesitantly.

"You've done enough, thank you, " she moved the first aid kit to the sink and took the scissors out of it. Despite a few attempts, however, she was unable to cut through any of the material, only rip it up slightly. The action, of course, also caused additional pain. What if she had an efficient left hand, if it wasn't useful anyway?

"Can I-I?," Fujisaki-san came closer and pointed to the scissors she was holding in her hand. Cutting the bandage didn't require touching, so she finally gave in and handed him the item. "Tell me if it hurts," he looked at her gently, and she just nodded in response. Even if it made her feel the pain, she probably wouldn't admit it, but he didn't need to know.

The boy grabbed a piece of bandage with one hand and began to cut through the material with the other. Meanwhile, her attention turned to his hands. They were small and neat. The skin was smooth and the fingers slender. They looked as gentle as he used them. His action did not cause her too much pain. She was surprised at how smoothly it went and that he showed no signs of discomfort at all. The bandage and the wound looked really bad.

"Thank you, I think I can handle it now... I don't like to be touched too much...."

"All right," he pulled back to the side, but he didn't leave the bathroom completely. He probably suspected that she might drop something in the process.

First she put her hand under cold water and then poured oxidized water over the wound, which she then wiped with dry gauze. Now all that remained was the worst part, which was the application of the dressing. Although she managed to wrap the wound much better than before, the binding was not so easy task at all. When another attempt failed and the bandage came loose, the only thing that came to her mind was to tie it up like the last time, which was bloody tight and a big mess. She looked at Fujisaki-san.

"If you want, can you help me tie this up?," she approached him and put her right limb in front of him. The boy complied with the request, and it was as smooth as his previous task.

"I hope it's not too tight..."

"It's not. Thank you," she moved her wrist a couple of times and it was a lot better than before. "You did it a thousand times better than I did. Maybe you should change your profession?," she laughed, and tucked the first aid kit in place.

"Only because I have both hands at my disposal," he pointed out. "But...," he hesitated. "I c-can always help you if you need it...," he looked at her again with that characteristic look that made her feel uncomfortable.

“I know,” she smiled slightly, ignoring her inner feelings.

Chapter 14: Chapter 13

They returned to the room, where Fujisaki-san’s computer remained switched on on the desk. Perhaps she wouldn't have drawn much attention to it if it weren't for the fact that on the screen she saw a written sequence of notes. Although she only glanced at the device for a moment, the boy nevertheless managed to notice her interest.

"I made some modifications to this program in class today, to the one which I showed you the other day. But still the effect is not satisfactory...," the boy sat down at his desk and shifted his gaze to the computer. "I'm trying to find the cause now."

Haruka came closer and began to analyze the content that was on the screen. At first glance, she didn't notice anything strange. But when she leaned a little closer, something actually deviated from the norm.

"Sit down, p-please," Fujisaki-san got up from his chair to make room for her.

"Stay. I'll just take my chair," she went to her desk and moved her chair next to the programmer's desk. "I don't like someone behind my back," she took a seat next to him and again began to verify the sound sequences. "What should it be?" From the notes alone she was unable to verify what the song was.

"The Cherry Blossoms song."

"This song for children?" Haruka hasn't heard this song in years. When she was a little girl, her mother would sometimes hum this tune to her before bed.

"Yes, that's the first thing that came to my mind. But it doesn't sound like it should, or at least I think it doesn't,"Fujisaki-san played the melody and the sound of a song spread around the room.

It sounded a bit like a 4-year-old trying to learn to play the piano. In addition, the entire sequence for Haruki seemed to have too much of a robotic sound.

"In fact, it’s a bit lacking in the original." The first thing she tried to figure out was why some sounds sound completely different than they should. After a long look at the computer screen, she found the source of the problem. "Where did you find those notes?"

"The program generated it automatically. The premise is that if a song is in a database, then after searching for it, the program should generate a note for it, from which it then plays the melody," he explained.

By modifying the program, he was clearly inspired by her guidance. However, if he can't read the notes himself, it's hard for him to be able to pick up any errors in the sequence itself.

"Do you see these dots?," she pointed to the black dots placed in different parts of the sequence. "They extend the rhythmic value of the note so that each note next to which it appears is extended by half its value," she said. Most of them here are meaningless.

"I didn't notice these dots when I checked what the program generated with what I found on the Internet," he sounded a little embarrassed by his lack of awareness.

"A man does not know everything at once and is not good at everything," she consoled him and again grabbed the computer's mouse. "Is it possible to manually remove errors?"

"Yes, you just have to go into manual mode," he said, as if it were self-evident.

She moved the object she was holding in her hand towards him so that he could turn on the function he had indicated. When everything was set back he returned the mouse to her.

"See? You know all this. The only thing I'm able to understand from what's on that screen are those notes," she joked, removing the unnecessary dots.

"I think you can turn off the computer, too," he joked back, which surprised her because it hadn't happened before. She laughed and took her eyes off the computer for a moment. Fujisaki-san looked relaxed. He didn't seem to stutter once during the conversation, either. To her surprise, he seemed comfortable in her company.

"Surely with such skills I could already unside you," she replied in an amused voice, returning to correct the sequence of notes. Moments later, everything seemed to be in the right place. "You can play it, just so we can see if it sounds better now." The boy followed her command and the computer played the tunes, this time correctly. However, she still wasn't satisfied with the strange electronic noise. "The sounds are correct."

"It's much better, thank you Yoshida-san..."

"Does it have to sound like that?," she interrupted his enthusiasm.

"Huh?" she rattled him with this question. "I thought it was all right now."

"The melody is correct, but it sounds like a poor quality organ. Unless that's the intention."

"I m-mean... that's the only thing I've been able to create so far. The program recognizes sounds but can't reproduce them in the same way as, for example, a piano..." he hesitated. "It's still a test version and..."

"You're right, I'm sorry. I think I'm nitpicking too much," she interjected and smiled slightly.

She forced Fujisaki-san to explain himself unnecessarily. Writing a program like this isn't easy, and he's done enough already. She shouldn't have expected more from him. Besides, she was only helping him with his project, not that it mattered to her at all...

"I was thinking about voice recognition...," the programmer got up from his seat and snatched her out of her thoughts. "If I could record a piano that plays a melody, maybe the program could interpret its sounds...," he continued, walking around the room. "I wish I knew someone who could play an instrument like that...," he made a thoughtful face and then turned his gaze to her.  She laughed and got up from her seat. 

"If only you knew someone like that...," she repeated after him, taking a few steps toward him. When she was almost in front of him, she spoke again. "I think I know someone like that," she looked at him, surprised this time at how freely she felt around him. He returned his gaze shyly, and a blush appeared on his face.

She wanted to get even closer to him just to tease him a little bit more but she knew she couldn't do that.

“Shall we go?,” she turned away from him and headed toward the door.

"Now?," he seemed very surprised by her proposal. She thought their conversation was headed for something like this.

"Why not? Do you have anything else to do?," she asked, with her enthusiasm still accompanying her. At this point, she didn't even want to hide it.

"No, but your h-hand...," once again, he was worried about everything around him.

"As far as I can remember, we put it together not so long ago."

"I k-know, but still..." he upheld uncertainly.

"Fine, if you really don't want to...," she didn’t want to force him.

"I've got to get changed and then we can go," he interrupted her and headed for the closet. "If you're sure you're going to be all right."

---

Soon after, they were in the instrumental room. Haruka took a stool at the piano, and Fujisaki-san, moving one of the chairs in the room, sat right next to her with his computer on his lap.

The first thing they decided to do was play each of the 88 keys separately so that the program would familiarize itself with their sounds. Then they moved on to the song they had been working on earlier. She played the melody without the slightest problem, and despite the slight pain she was in, the dressing did its job and made it easier for her to move her limb.

"Wow, my program don't hold a candle to your playing," the programmer praised her. Throughout the track, he watched her closely and seemed genuinely impressed.

"Remember that I was playing a children's song?," she laughed."I'm not an outstanding pianist. I mostly use the piano to compose," she tried to tone down his enthusiasm.

"Amazing...," he whispered.

Mentioning her own compositions, however, had a different effect. A blush appeared on the boy's face and his gaze from the computer screen shifted to her. Looking at his expressions automatically brought a smile to her face.

"It's all recorded?," she changed the subject to avoid more emotion. The programmer turned his gaze to the computer and began tapping on its keyboard.

"Yes, the program will just have to process it and then I'll have to work on it a little bit more. I'll let you know when I make some progress," Fujisaki-san expressed joy, which in turn influenced her.

"That's a good. Then we can get going..."

"Wait!," he stopped her before she could get up from her seat. "Since we're already here...," he continued uncertainly.

"Yes?," she asked softly and gave him a motivating look.

"M-maybe you could play something m-more...?," he finished in the same shaky voice. Again, his shyness amused her a little. That boy can turn any simple question into a great mystery, or treat it as if he were asking a question about the importance of life and death.

"Would you like me to play something more?," she asked, leaning in his direction slightly. She didn't know why she did it. For some reason, she liked embarrassing him, and his closeness didn't seem to bother her.

"Y-yes..," he stuttered out with his eyes down, entire red on his face. Although she might have expected such a reaction from him, slight bruises began to appear on her face, too.

"Any special wishes?," she turned away from him and turned back toward the piano.

"If it's not too personal... maybe you could play something..."

"That I wrote myself?," she finished for him. He was quite predictable.

"Yes..."

"All right," the girl took out her notebook, opened it on the selected page and leaned it against the piano. At that time, the boy closed the computer and turned a little more toward her.

After a while, a delicate melody she had been working on for a long time began to played out in the room. During playing, she would sometimes throw in a hum, which she hoped would one day be replaced by a good lyric for the song. She hadn't played any of her compositions to any one in a long time. She forgot what a nice feeling it was...

After she had finished, the room was initially quiet, and only their breath could be heard in the air.

"How do you li..."

“Excellent!” he snapped, without letting her finish the question.

"Do you give everyone so many compliments?," she laughed and got up from her seat to hide this time probably clearer blush on her cheeks.

"Usually I try to avoid saying negative things in relation to o-others..."

"So if it was terrible you wouldn't even tell me?, " she pointed out moving around the room.

"But it wasn't terrible. I would never lie and say something was great if it wasn't!," he was outraged.

It was a completely new reaction, one she hadn't seen before in him. He folded arms and puffed out his cheeks a little. This reaction, however, did not take away his personal charm.

"If anything I show you will really suck I want you to tell me that," she ordered. In response, the boy looked at her surprised. "Only on this condition I will ever again play you something I created."

"I-I..."

"You have to learn to express your opinion. Criticism is nothing bad if it's expressed in the right way. And I'm definitely not made of glass," she concluded and began heading toward the door.

"I'll do my best," he answered motivated and himself got up from his seat.

They left the room and started heading for the elevator. Haruka loved it when the hallways were completely empty at that time because everyone was already in their rooms. She usually walked through the hallways alone, enjoying the peace and quiet, but Fujisaki-san didn't bother her at all. She had already noticed that the boy valued silence too, though maybe not as often as she did. She always thought that spending time in silence seemed awkward for many, but in their relation, it seemed like a comfortable solution.

"Thank you," the programmer said suddenly as they approached their room. There was a smile and a slight blush on his face, and he also seemed very relaxed.

"I know I told you not to abuse the word sorry, although I feel like I'm going to have to add thank you to that rule soon too," she joked.

"I just...never worked with anyone on any of my projects...,” he said shyly.

"I’m sure someone else will be interested in your work too...," just like the last time, she started to slowly pull back but when the smile slowly began to disappear from the boy's face after she spoke, she realized she couldn't do it to him again. "And until then, you can work with me," she corrected, and the boy instantly beamed. It was obvious that this was important to him, and no matter how much she tried to deny it in her head, she was having a great time during their activity too."

They went to the same class and were roommates, so no wonder they spent time together. Besides Fujisaki-san came to understand that she has no intention of making friends, so working together on this program shouldn't hurt.... 

Right?

---

As she decided, so she did. She and Fujisaki-san worked together at least once a week on the ever-newer modifications the boy was able to make. During work, they had small conversations mostly based on current school affairs, interests or the occasional joke.

As she expected, time began to pass more quickly due to the number of classes she attended. Over the past two weeks, she had come to like some subjects more and less and to hate even some.

Mathematics was one of them. It's not that Haruka had anything against this subject. She may not have been a strict mind and a big fan of counting, but she never had any major problems with the subject.

In Hope's Peak, the queen of science is led by a... strange teacher. Handa Akemi made the actress completely hate maths after just one class. From the moment she entered the classroom, the woman looked as if she was there under great compulsion.

Even though she was relatively young, Haruka would have given her 30 years of age, the grimace on her face added at least as many years more. Throughout the class, she would address them in a dismissive tone and stare at them with a murderous look as if she was really trying to kill someone. In her class, you could not talk, drill or even breathe too loudly, because even that was what she had managed to picked on to when Yamada-san "was panting too clearly."

Moreover in 1,5 hour, she covered a lot of ground of material from which she had already given them 50 homework tasks and gave two detentions: to Kuwata and Enoshima-san for an incomplete uniform. Just as the redhead had replaced his shirt with a white printed T-shirt and Haruka was able to understand it, so the fashionista opted to hang her tie loosely around her neck instead of tying it completely which seemed to the actress a slight exaggeration of the teacher.The next classes were no better. There was just more material and a bitter aftertaste.

Some complications also appeared in the PE lesson. However, the issue was not about her alone, but Fujisaki-san, who tried at all costs to avoid using the common changing room for girls.

Changing into a PE outfit was not so difficult, because the boy had already put it on under his uniform and after all the girls left the locker room he quickly threw off the top layer. Though changing from the PE outfit back into the uniform proved more difficult, especially since the programmer was already questioned by their classmates at the very beginning of the class why he did not change  with them.  Fujisaki-san dropped it on shyness and embarrassment, which seemed to convince the girls in their class. Even their classmates were understanding enough that they suggested that he change into the locker room as the last one when no one else was in it.

For Haruka, this was a good solution and she was convinced that the problem had resolved itself, but after classes when all the girls had already left the changing room, Fujisaki-san's seemed to still have trouble getting in.

When the boy stood in front of the changing room for more than five minutes, the actress decided to intervene. As it turned out, the programmer was stressed and worried that someone could spot him despite the fact that there was a lock on the door. As she learned, the situation was similar when it came to using the bathroom. Fujisaki-san avoided public toilets and would simply return to their room if necessary. However, in case of changing after PE, it was difficult for him to go back to the dorm and later return for another class on time.

After a moment of thought, Haruka suggested to him that she could wait behind the door and make sure no one was hanging around the locker room. The boy agreed and was very grateful to her.

Of these more enjoyable activities, she would put gymnastics and literature on the podium for the moment. Although in the former so far, she has been doing badly, her fascination waned and even grew, which motivated her to further master her skills. The latter, in turn, gave them a lot of freedom in terms of what they would talk about on the subject. For example, in a recent class, they discussed thrillers. They received suggestions of several books to read on the subject, and then they were asked to watch a screening of their chosen book to compare what the director gave up and why.

The only downside to the literature was the fact of seeing Togami there and listening to his stupid comments over and over again. Fukawa could also occasionally interject, but personally it bothered her less than a heir. However, Togami taking part in the literature class was completely predictable and when it comes to Fukawa, even more so. 

The biggest surprise for her was the appearance of the Owada on the music lessons. She was curious whether the rider had some hidden attraction to the subject, or had just randomly selected it on the list. Although the boy had not spoken at any of the previous classes and did not seem particularly interested, this could have been due to the fact that nothing special was happening at this lessons.  

The students participating in the class were divided into two groups, which were to follow slightly different practical curricula but to combine in theoretical teaching. She was, of course, qualified for the more advanced one, but for the time being, they were still discussing theories, so it didn't give her too much. 

There was, however, some hope for the future. At the end of the first semester, in July, an annual skills show is held at Hope's Peak for friends and families of the academy's students. The selected students at this event have the opportunity to present themselves, and their teachers can in turn boast about them. Noda-sensei has already made it clear to them that the advanced part will soon begin preparations for this undertaking, suggesting that they will leave this theory alone, at least for a moment.

She did not deny that she would love to be on stage. She was already guaranteed any appearance due to the fact that at Yukimichi-sensei dance classes. The teacher also stated that all the students would present themselves in a group arrangement in July but she would not disdain a solo performance from music class either.

However there were still black clouds in her head and the fear of being recognized. It's always easier to hide in a crowd. Admittedly, only those who receive a special invitation from someone inside the academy will be allowed into the show, though there's always the possibility that some familiar face could be lurking in the audience. On the other hand, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she looked very different from when she saw her reflection inside the walls of that damn house. In addition, proper characterization should also play its part.

There was still plenty of time left until July, so she decided she shouldn't worry about it for now. Paranoia never helped her, and only intensified her nightmares...

Chapter 15: Chapter 14

It was a warm Saturday afternoon, their room was completely illuminated by the sunbeams that were streaming through the open window, which was slightly ajar. She was struck by the slightly cool air and the sound of birds singing outside. Fujisaki-san lay on his stomach on his bed with his legs slightly raised, and she sat near him on the floor, leaning against the frame of a piece of furniture.

On the bedside table, there was a half-eaten packet of cinnamon treats, which she had recently developed a fondness for, and two black teas. Another thing they had in common was that they preferred this type of drink over coffee, with the difference being that her cup contained at least two more teaspoons of sugar.

She no longer remembered how many times that week they had worked together on the boy's program. The computer was on the bed, but it was positioned in such a way that Haruka could closely observe what the programmer was entering into it. However, the girl did not focus only on the device, because her attention was drawn to her roommate, whom she kept glancing at. She had noticed this habit of hers some time ago, but as long as she did it discreetly enough that Fujisaki-san wouldn't notice, she didn't see anything wrong with it. Focusing her attention on him, she could, for a moment, push her own pessimism aside.

Besides she also knew that he sometimes looked her way too, but not as discreetly. She wondered what he was looking for when he looked at her...

"Have you already watched the film for the literature class?," while the program was updating, the boy brought up a new topic.

"I’m still building up to it. I may be prolonging this because I'm afraid the movie will ruin such a good book," she laughed and turned her gaze to the book she had mentioned, which was still on her desk. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, a book she liked so much that she was thinking of reading it again just to pay more attention to the details.

"From what I checked, the movie also has good reviews..."

"Opinions are opinions, and reality is reality. Additionally, unfortunately, I often disagree with the majority," she reached for her cup of tea, which was still warm. She took a sip, which warmed her slightly and contrasted with the cool gusts of wind coming from the open window. Goose bumps appeared on her skin.

"Are you cold?,"  he asked, as always surprising her with his perceptiveness.

"I'm practically always cold," she declared, grasping a warm cup with both hands. "Fresh air is nice, and I just don't feel like getting up for a sweater."

Sometimes she could be very lazy, but at 20 degrees outside, she wouldn't freeze. She took another sip of tea and before she could turn around, the boy put the computer aside and reached for his sweatshirt, which he had taken off some time ago and left on his chair.

Fujisaki-san usually moved around the room in a short sleeve, so it seemed that he was definitely less thermophilic than her. What a surprise appeared on her face when she just mentioned this, and the programmer just happened to have his sweatshirt on display, not far from where they were sitting. In this context, her statement sounded like a clear suggestion. This is a sign that she should pay more attention to her surroundings and what she says.

"If you don't mind... you can wear my...," he offered hesitantly. She found it hard to refuse him, so she accepted the item from him. The green sweatshirt was quite small, but not small enough that it wouldn't fit. Fujisaki-san was only slightly smaller, but also much shorter than her, which mainly caused the material on her to be a bit tight.

"Thank you," she smiled, taking another sip of tea, covering the slight blush on her face.

It also happened to her often lately — smiling and blushing. It was a definite novelty that she had to get used to. However, the programmer had a habit of doing it even more intensely than she did. Especially when it came to the latter. Now, his face was also covered in large blush. Combined with a gentle gaze, it always predicted trouble.

"Have you seen it yet?"

"Huh?" It seemed like she had pulled him out of some kind of trance.

"The movie. Did you see the movie we were talking about?," she chuckled at his reaction. It’s no surprise that they chose the same book, of course.

"Not yet," he replied, also grabbing his cup. It's possible that he wanted to use the same method as her and cover his face with a vessel. "That's why I asked if you had already watched it..."  As she predicted after the hesitant hint, he took a sip of tea, leaving the cup at his cheeks level.

She also thought about watching it together, but didn't want to impose. Additionally, watching the movie in the room would be much more comfortable than on a computer in the library. The cinema room was unavailable because it was already booked for the rest of the month.

"Did you want to ask for my opinion?," she teased him, pretending not to know what he meant.

"No, I wanted to…," he began again, but without continuing.

"So you're not interested in my opinion?," she continued.

"No! That's not the case at all. I'm very interested in what you have to say... ,"  he explained, looking stressed. 

When she noticed the first signs of too much emotional distress like the glassy eyes, she knew it was time to stop her antics.

"I'll watch it with you," she declared.

"Huh?," his previous emotions instantly faded, and were replaced by utter confusion.

"If you want, we can watch it together, but I warn you, I like to comment a lot while watching," she elaborated on her previous statement.

"I don't mind that," he said, determined. "You can talk as much as you want...," he added, his voice a little softer, and a blush on his cheeks.

She wasn't sure how to respond. She wanted to say anything, change the subject, but the words seemed to get stuck in her throat. The only thing she managed to do was smile at him and put a cup of tea to her lips, which, as it turned out, was completely empty. She didn’t even notice when she had finished drinking the tea. With him, time always flew by so quickly.

As she looked up from her cup, she tried to avoid the programmer's gaze and turned her attention to the computer, where the icon of the running program was visible. She had completely forgotten that they were working on his program...

"I think...that it has already... updated itself...," she mumbled, a bit unclear. "I mean... the program...," she continued awkwardly.  She felt completely embarrassed within herself by how easily he could disorientate her.

"Probably so..." the boy began after a moment, but an unexpected ring at the door interrupted him.

"Are you expecting someone?," she asked, knowing that it was more likely to be someone coming to him.

"No..."

Haruka got up from the floor and headed towards the door.

"Hide in the bathroom. I don't know who it is, but we don't want them to see you in this state," she decided that this was the most sensible solution before opening the door.

Although she didn't intend to let anyone into their room, she was aware of how nosy and pushy people could be. A person in the hallway could peek into the room through a crack or try to get in. The bathroom was safer because it had a lock.

"Okey…," the programmer jumped out of bed and quickly went to the bathroom.

When Haruka heard the sound of the lock turning, she pulled the handle of their front door. Behind them was Asahina-san, smiling, in short red shorts and a white T-shirt. The actress was surprised that the girl was not cold in the outfit.

"Oh… Yoshida-san…," when the swimmer saw Haruka at the door, her enthusiasm seemed to wane slightly.

"Yes. It's my room, after all," she pointed to the name tag on the door and directed her favorite practiced smile at the girl. "Asahina-san, how can I help you?"

"Is Fujisaki-san there?," the girl got straight to the point. It didn't surprise Haruki that she came to her roommate.

"She's in the bathroom," she replied briefly. " Can I convey something?"

"No, no. I'll wait," she declared, to her interlocutor's displeasure.

"She just started taking a shower, so it might take a while. When she's done, I can tell her to come to you so you don't have to wait in the hallway," she offered, subtly suggesting that she wouldn't let her in.

"I'm not in a hurry," she announced, glancing at her wristwatch. "There's no problem with me waiting here. When she is ready, she can come out to me," she sounded very determined, but Haruka did not sense any bitterness in her words. Asahina-san seemed polite.

"If you prefer it like that. I'll let her know as soon as she comes out that you're waiting for her," she smiled again and closed the door to her room. "You can go out now," she said to Fujisaki-san now.

When he emerged from the bathroom, she explained the situation to him. "You need to change," she concluded.

The boy immediately removed the rubber band from his hair and headed for the closet, looking for something more feminine. It seemed that the situation had stressed him out pretty well. The programmer turned pale and his hands were shaking. He frantically tossed his clothes around, unable to decide on anything.

"Hey," she called out. When he looked at her, his eyes were completely glassy. "Sit down," she commanded, pointing at his bed.

"I can't… make her wait long… what if she figures out… that something is wrong…," his voice cracked, his body shook, and his breathing became much faster and terribly uneven. He clutched one of the shirts from the closet tightly in his hands. It looked almost as if he was having… the beginnings of a panic attack…His gaze wandered in various directions around the room, but he himself seemed absent.

She took a few steps in his direction.

"Look at me," she said softly, which seemed to snap him out of his trance. She grabbed a piece of the fabric he was holding, so as to gently pull Fujisaki-san towards the bed. "Let's sit down and try to calm down," she tried to maintain eye contact at all costs so that he would focus his attention on her. When she still saw hesitation in him, she continued. "I told her you were taking a shower. You know that some people can sit in the bathroom for hours? For example, my hair takes at least 30 minutes to dry after washing. We have plenty of time."

After her statement, the boy gave up and they sat down on the bed, still both holding the shirt. "You have to breathe. Inhale... and exhale... ," she demonstrated, and they both repeated the action a few more times, and then they sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm so..."

"I don't want to hear it," she interrupted him, but still kept a gentle tone and gaze. She stood up and pulled on the material they were holding to signal that he should do the same. When the boy stood up, she let go of the shirt and walked towards his closet. "Can I help?," she wanted to make sure he didn't mind before she started digging through his things.

"Please.."

Although the boy had just turned the cupboard upside down, most of the things were still nicely arranged.

"I feel like my order looks worse than your mess," she laughed, which also made the boy smile. Haruka began to search the inside of the piece of furniture for a loose outfit that was feminine enough that Fujisaki-san wouldn't have to wear makeup. Her attention was drawn to a light blue, bubble skirt and a red top with a strawberry print. This set seemed perfect, and the shape of the skirt didn't require him to wear that metal foundation slip underneath.

"By thinking that every move you make looks suspicious, you'll just fall into greater paranoia." "Believe me...," she added to herself in her head and handed him the outfit she had chosen.

"I've never been in a situation like this before. I always prepare ahead of time and have a general idea of where I'm going and who I might meet...," he explained, taking clothes from her.

"Considering that we are in a dorm, you must be aware that unfortunately there is a possibility that some unannounced visit may happen even at night. " She herself was not happy about being exposed to interactions with others at any time, but there was no other way.

"That means I should be dressed up 24 hours a day... ," he looked resignedly at the things in his hands.

"I didn't say that, " she sat down on her bed. The boy looked at her uncertainly. "Always be prepared? Yes. However, I would limit it to keeping some spare things at hand and maintaining a greater peace, " she explained, glancing at the watch. 

It has been 47 minutes since Asahina-san has been waiting in the hallway. There was no tragedy, but prolonging it for too long could actually be a bit suspicious. Haruka was convinced that the swimmer had no idea what was going on and that the real reason would never cross her mind. She could only think of something completely detached from reality, and as it didn't bother her at all, she knew that Fujisaki-san would definitely be concerned about some rumors.

"I don't know…," the boy sounded even more defeated now. When she didn't respond, he gave her another sad look and went to change in the bathroom.

---

"How do I look...?" he asked quietly when he returned. The outfit, in her opinion, did its job, but the boy looked very down.

"As a girl," she said briefly, crossing her legs. " Though I would appreciate it if you showed more enthusiasm about the outfit I chose for you," she added ironically to cheer him up a bit.

"Thank you for your help, Yoshida-san," he managed to force a faint smile in her direction and then headed for the door.

She concluded that since the gentle approach didn't work, she had to shake him properly.

"Listen. I know the situation is shitty and unfortunately, I'm afraid it will only get worse over time. However, if you want it to look like this for now, you must become more flexible and confident in what you do," the boy turned to her and when he looked at her, she immediately softened. "I'm sure you'll manage... And if you screw up in between... I'll be here. I'll cover for you as long as I can, " she blurted out impulsively.

Fujisaki-san's expression changed dramatically. Her statement, which clearly got out of control, caused great emotion in the boy. Glassy eyes, this time combined with blush on the cheeks and a wide smile. However, she also noticed a sparkle in his eye that she didn't think she had seen before.

"In that case, I'll give it my best!," he declared, wiping his wet eyes from tears. "Thank you for believing in me, Yoshida-san."

"And in disbelief in others," she joked, trying not to stir him or herself more. "Human stupidity works in our favor here," she added, realizing that she had unconsciously used the phrase "our." However, Fujisaki-san didn't pay attention to this phrase, because he just chuckled. "Now go," she said, looking at her watch again. "If she's too picky, tell her there was a problem with the hot water."

"Okey…," he nodded uncertainly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

---

When he returned to the room, he didn't look like he was satisfied. Did something not go their way?

"Asahina-san invited me to a girl party... There will be a few other girls from our class."

"Is that bad?" she asked, surprised by the boy's mood.

"Bad?," he repeated, sounding a bit confused.

"You don't look very pleased," she corrected.

"It was kind of her to invite me. Asahina-san and the other girls are very nice…," he began.

"But?" Something was clearly not right with this invitation. It seemed to her that he and Asahina-san got along well. Did she miss something?

"But we were supposed to watch a movie together…" So that's what it was all about.

"You know, we don't have to watch it today," she reminded him. "We still have a whole week, so you can go without any guilt."

"I guess you don't want to go...? he asked, and in his eyes she saw a glimmer of hope.

"Did she invite me too?," she asked ironically, knowing that that was definitely not the case. Besides, the swimmer would have mentioned it to her during their interaction at the door.

"No, but I could ask…"

"You don't have to," she interrupted him, pulling out one of her books from the drawer. "I prefer books over most people's company, anyway," she demonstrated him the "The Shining" by Stephen King in her hand. "But you have fun."

"I want to be like you...," he blurted out unexpectedly.

Where did that idea suddenly come from? She would sometimes do anything just to not be herself.

"You wouldn't," she concluded.

"You express your opinion so easily... you refused me without hesitation," he clarified.

"I suspect that’s why most people don’t like me," she laughed. "But I noticed that assertiveness isn't your strong suit. Let me know in the future if you don't want to go somewhere, and you won't be able to refuse. I'll come up with an excuse for you."

"Thank you, Yoshida-san, you really are a great… roommate," despite the hesitation, the statement sounded fairly natural.

After the compliment, he gave her another slightly embarrassed look and began to prepare to leave. He was gone not long after.

---

"Roommate...," his voice echoed in her mind. As they had agreed, he did not consider their relationship as a friendship. However, was their behavior just a pure acquaintance based on sharing a room and attending the same class? 

Their time together was primarily spent working on his program, which was a typical school activity, and in minor discussions on purely organizational and academic topics. Only sometimes did the conversations seem to veer into more casual thoughts or innocent jokes. 

She never had any friends, so she didn't know when the line between a regular acquaintance was crossed. However, since she maintained a distance between them and did not confide, in her opinion, friendship was still very far away. Ordinary kindness towards the person she had to live with at the moment and with whom she should have good relations is not strange at all. Especially if that person is very...likeable.

Isn't it?

Chapter 16: Chapter 15

They watched the book's adaptations on Sunday and, surprisingly, the positive reviews were confirmed. According to Haruka, it was a faithful adaptation, which did not happen often. The film differed only in minor details that wouldn't work as well on screen.

Watching the film itself was also enjoyable for her. She ate sweet popcorn all the time, occasionally making some comment. According to Fujisaki-san's statements, her comments during the film did not seem to bother him. He listened to her observations with interest and sometimes even referred to the events on the screen himself.

Sometimes the boy would cover himself with a pillow because some scenes scared him. She was glad that he wasn't trying to pretend it was different.

After the screening, the programmer said that he was less afraid because they watched the film together and suggested that he would like to do it again sometime.Despite her hesitation, she decided to signal to him that she had nothing against it. She thought it was always just a way to pass the time.

They were now together working on the program watching films and exchanging books that interested them. Of course, they also attended classes together, and Fujisaki-san increasingly appeared at her table during lunch. 

The boy tried to change his seat at the cafeteria every few days, but lately he seemed to have more and more excuses to stay at the table with her and Ishimaru-san.  The most common excuse was a conversation about a program or subject they both attended. The programmer also sometimes referred to the need to talk to the red-eyed boy, who was now actively involved in the student council. The moral compass was very proud of this role and was happy to share the information it had acquired. He had for example information about a talent show that was to take place in July, at which Fujisaki-san was also to perform.

His skills were certainly appreciated by teachers and students, as he was well-known to everyone at the school. Of course, the additional publicity was due to the fact that, in the opinion of everyone, he was a pretty, intelligent girl who aroused considerable interest, especially among the male part of the school.

---

This Tuesday was no different. When she arrived at the cafeteria, Fujisaki-san and Ishimaru-san were already sitting at the same table as always. She sat down with a nearly empty tray.

"Yoshida-san I remind you..."

"That proper nutrition is key to the functioning of every human being," she interrupted Ishimaru-san and finished the rest of the statement for him, knowing the phrase by heart. "I know, I know."

"Didn’t you like anything again?," Fujisaki-san asked, referring to the fact that this was the second time in a week that she had been unable to find anything for herself in the cafeteria.

"Yup. The lack of chicken and salmon means I'm stuck with dry rice," she declared, putting some rice in her mouth.

"I think you should be open to other flavors. The trout served today is just as good as salmon and is rich in selenium and phosphorus to ensure healthy heart and brain function," moral copass demonstrated his knowledge.

"Ishimaru-san, I believe you, but I'll still say thank you," she said, returning to her meal.

"I think the rice itself is a bit too little…," the programmer tried to reason with her this time.

"That's why I'll probably eat something sweet later," Haruka wouldn't give up. "Seriously, you have nothing to worry ab..."

"Please eat this,"  her roommate said, pulling out a small box from his bag with 3 onigiri with salmon in one compartment and a chocolate cookie in the other. "I took this just in case..."

"I won't eat the food you prepared for yourself."

"...for you... ," he clarified quietly.

"For me…?," she repeated in total shock.

She didn't think Fujisaki-san would come up with such an idea. Her nutrition was not his responsibility, and if she had not downplayed the issue of eating and was not lazy , she could have prepared something for herself. She has already managed to learn something in the cooking class, so she would definitely be able to make something simple.

"Recently you have eaten very little...," the programmer nervously twirled a chopstick around his plate. "I was worried..."

"That's very kind of you, Fujisaki-san," Ishimaru-san smiled broadly.

"Unnecessarily...",she replied, her gaze fixed on the box on the table. Everything inside was prepared so carefully and precisely in the way she liked the most.

When she thought about it now, she realized that she should have figured out from the beginning that the lunch was for her. The boy would probably choose tuna when making onigiri for himself.

She shifted her gaze from the food to her roommate, who looked stressed. In the end, she kept him in suspense. He put a lot of work and time into it... She couldn't just refuse him now. Plus all in all she would gladly filled her stomach with something. She pulled the box closer and opened it.

"Next time, I'll make something," she declared, grabbing chopsticks. "And I don't want to hear any buts," she added immediately when she noticed that the boy wanted to protest. "Thank you, Fujisaki-san, but you don't have to get so involved," she concluded, putting one onigiri in her mouth.

" I know," he said with conviction. "I hope you'll enjoy it..."

"It's great," she interrupted, swallowing the bite.

"Really?,"  the boy beamed at the compliment.

"You should already know that I don't eat anything that doesn't taste good to me," she laughed, putting another rice sandwich in her mouth.

They sat there together for maybe a few more minutes until their moral compass said goodbye to them because he was in a hurry to get to his next class. There was no rush for her and Fujisaki-san, because both of them now had self-improvement in their lesson plans, on which they usually worked on the program together.

It was another coincidence that they had this type of school activity at the same time, or at least 1.5 hours out of 3 hours a week. Such "subject" was also on her schedule at Thursday. She used it mainly to try to catch up on sleep for the week. Because she had spent so much time with the programmer lately, she had trouble finding a good time to take a nap during the day. Sometimes she took advantage of opportunities when the boy was meeting Asahina-san, or when he helped out on the IT floor. This week, however, she had no chance to recover, so she was counting down to Thursday.

---

After class, she spent some more time in the instrumental room and the dance room. She used the second one to practice gymnastics. A large mirror helped her spot mistakes more easily, and there were a lot of them. She didn't consider the training a success, but her muscles were so exhausted that she wasn't even surprised they refused to obey her.

She returned to her room late in the evening, ending the day by exchanging a few words with Fujisaki-san and reading a few pages of some cheesy romance novel, which she had picked up to laugh at the stupidity of the main characters. She wasn't disappointed.

After 11 pm. her roommate seemed to be sleeping soundly, and she stared at the piece of light reflecting on the ceiling. From time to time her eyelids would droop, and she would try to fight them. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes later, sleepiness took over and Haruka disappeared into the depths of Morpheus.

---

She felt the chill of the cold wind on her skin. Snow was falling from the sky, covering a significant part of the scenery with white powder. Steam rose from the paper cup in her hands. Inside was a disgusting, watered-down coffee, which was the only possible source of warmth. She sat on a cold metal bench at the train station, covered by the hood of a soaked and stretched gray sweatshirt. The sounds of machines and the din of people on the platform filled her ears. Nobody paid her the slightest bit of attention. She was waiting for her train so she could continue her journey.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan until suddenly there was complete silence. A large clock in front of her showed 9:59 pm. The sky turned black and the travelers around her disappeared. When 10 pm struck, a loud bell rang out. Moment later, she was no longer at the station. She was now lying on a bed in a dark room. Behind her was the tall figure of a man. At all costs, she tried to move. Despite the fact that she had trouble controlling her body, she managed to move to the left edge of the bed. As the figure began to approach, she began to scream with all the strength in her lungs.However, this was of no use, as her attacker was getting closer and closer and didn't pay any attention to her screams. She could feel his breath on her back. She was overcome with panic and exhaustion. With the last bit of energy, she pushed her body over the edge of the bed...

She was lying on the floor. Eyes all wet with tears, breathing irregular and accelerated. Her whole body was shaking. She tried to stand up, but couldn't do it. Her legs and arms couldn't move. A soft sob escaped her lips.

"Yoshida-san…?," she heard a nervous voice to her right.

Her roommate’s reaction stressed her out enough that she gathered enough energy to roll onto her back. She tried hard not to cry now. Although her tears continued to flow steadily down her cheeks, she didn't fall into hysterics. She covered her face with her hands.

"I’m sorry…," she managed to say. 

The boy probably considered her completely insane by now.

She heard the programmer get out of bed and take a few steps in her direction.

"I can help you somehow…?, he offered worried, approaching her a bit more.

"Just don't touch me…!," she panicked when he got too close to her.

She exposed her wet, red, and swollen eyes to see where her roommate exactly was. However, her vision was very blurry. She began to gasp for air, as she felt like she was suffocating. She felt dizzy so badly that she was sure she was going to faint.

"I won't. I promise," he replied gently. When she became more emotionally unstable, he seemed to be more composed than before. "Do you see my hands? They will be at your sight so you can be sure I won't touch you," he raised his hands and sat on the floor not far from her, but far enough to maintain a comfortable distance for her.

When he noticed that she was starting to drift away, he began a further conversation. "Focus on me," he instructed her calmly. He maintained eye contact and tried not to make any sudden movements to avoid scaring her even more. "You must breathe," he continued when he had her full attention.

When he looked at her, shaken and terrified, he was overcome with sadness. However, he knew he had to hold it together. For her. "I know you can do it," he encouraged her, and turned a slight smile in her direction. It seemed to work, because right after he spoke, the girl focused on slow breathing and began to calm down. She continued breathing like this for a while, and Fujisaki-san waited patiently and watched over her.

"Thank you…," she whispered, but loud enough for him to hear. 

"I'm glad I could help you in some way... "

She had the feeling that now she saw concern in his eyes instead of pity. He didn't take his eyes off her for a moment, and Haruka didn't want to break eye contact either. His gentle gaze calmed her. 

"Are you feeling a little better...?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"A little bit...," she said honestly. "It would be nice if my limbs felt a bit better too," her voice was slightly amused.

She wanted to lighten the mood a bit. The fact that she fell off the bed and couldn't get up, despite it being extremely humiliating for her, was also a bit funny.

After she said that, Fujisaki-san stood up and began to look around their room. He wandered around for a moment, then pulled his sweatershirt out of the closet. The same one that he had lent her some time ago. He tied one of the sleeves to his arm and knelt beside her.

"Maybe this way you can at least get up to a sitting position," he suggested, handing her the other sleeve of the clothing.

The programmer once again showed initiative that she didn't expect at all. The boy was by far the most respectful person she had ever met. Ever since she told him that she didn't like it when someone came up from behind, Fujisaki-san seemed to pay a lot of attention to that. He always tried to be at her sight and to face her when he addressed her. This time, he also behaved admirably. He promised not to touch her, so he found a way to help her without breaking his promise.

Haruka grabbed the fabric, and the boy managed to pull her up. It was not an easy task, because even though she was not particularly heavy, her body was limp, and Fujisaki-san did not have much strength either. Fortunately,she was close enough to the bed that when half of her body was already off the floor, she managed to turn it so that it rested against the side of the furniture. However, the action cost her a lot of energy.

"Thank you," she said, still panting and with a blurred vision.

The programmer, who continued to closely observe her, noticed her continuous weakness, took a bottle of water from the fridge, unscrewed the cap, and handed her the drink.

"Water should help a bit..." When the girl began to drink slowly, he took his seat back near her.

"Maybe you really should think about changing professions," she laughed after a moment, and her face slowly began to develop some pigmentation.

However, she still seemed to be shaking a bit. The boy smiled back and took the bottle back from her when she had already taken a few sips. He set it aside and stood up again, this time to get a blanket.

"Can I…?", he asked hesitantly, indicating that he wanted to cover her up.

"Yes…," her tone was just as uncertain. She seemed intimidated by the amount of concern she received from her roommate.

After receiving permission, Fujisaki-san gently placed the blanket over her.

They spent the next 20 minutes in silence. She gradually recovered during this time, and the boy sat on the edge of his bed, watching over her. A temporary break made her brain work more soberly. Her head stopped spinning, her vision sharpened, and she began to control the movement of her limbs. The first thing she did was look at the watch,which showed 4 am. It wasn’t that far away from the start of class at 8 am. She was furious with herself because the boy would now be sleep-deprived because of what had happened. 

She didn't even know how to apologize to him for the situation. Because it was the second time, she concluded that she owed him an explanation.

"That's why I wanted a single room...", she began, not knowing how much information she really wanted to reveal to him. "I...Sometimes...," she got lost in her own words.

"Yoshida-san, you don't have to explain..."

"But I want to…," she interjected. "It will keep happening... I can't stop it," she continued, looking at the floor.

She felt a great deal of shame, but also that she was shedding a great burden that had weighed on her. "Most of the time when I sleep, I have nightmares... and when I wake up, I often feel like I'm still dreaming. Moreover, I am terrified of the dark... that's why I really need light...," she paused to catch her breath, because it seemed to her that she hadn't breathed a single breath throughout her entire statement.

"I can't hide it anymore... or even... I don't want to hide it anymore. You are a great person, Fujisaki-san, and I am truly sorry for keeping you up at night again and for not telling you before you agreed to share a room with me. I try my best to avoid such situations as much as possible, and I know that unfortunately you are stuck with me for now, but I hope I won't be a bigger nuisance for you..."

"I would like you to sleep," he interrupted her. His words took her so off guard that she lifted her gaze from the floor and, surprised, looked in his direction. "I think... you've been trying not to sleep to avoid this kind of situation... right?"

"How long do you know that I'm not sleeping?", she replied with a question. It turns out that he had already cracked the code a long time ago. She could have expected that, after all, she knew he wasn't stupid.

"I knew you didn't sleep much because sometimes when I woke up at night, you were still reading a book, or you weren't in the room at all. However, I didn't know you were doing it on purpose and that we were talking about a practical lack of sleep. I thought it might be insomnia...," he explained.

Although Fujisaki-san was well aware of her nightly escapades and reading, he never brought it up. She will never stop being surprised by him.

"I hope I didn’t wake you up too many times…"

"No," he declared firmly. "Me waking up at night had nothing to do with you not sleeping. Sometimes I just wake up for no reason."

"That's a a good thing," she sighed in relief. What was missing was that she could actually disturb his sleep all this time. "It's good that I didn't mess it up here," for the first time that night, a genuine smile appeared on her face.

"I really want you to sleep," he smiled back and repeated his earlier statement, which had faded into the background during the conversation. However, it was still completely incomprehensible to her.

"If I do, then every other day you can say goodbye to your sleep," she tried to reason with him.

"Today I slept at least 4 hours…"

"I don't want to hear it," she said sharply, interrupting him mid-sentence. "You can't let walk over yourself Fujisaki-san. You don't owe me anything. You won't be pulling an all-nighter because I have something wrong with my head,"  she was so emotional that she even threw off herself the blanket in amazement.

She was outraged that he would suggest such a thing. It's enough that she's living through this nightmare, she'll never make him go through it.

"But you need rest too…," the boy lost his confidence but still didn't give up.

"But I don't get any rest!", she exploded. "I can't sleep... not this way...", a single tear of her own helplessness rolled down her cheek.

When she looked at her interlocutor, it seemed that he had been crying for some time. His face was all wet with tears, and his eyes were red and puffy. Looking at him, she realized that venting her anger wouldn't change anything. He wasn't to blame for what was happening to her. He really just wanted to help…

She stood up and took the tissues from the desk. She pulled one out and crouched down in front of the boy.

"Listen. I don't want you to understand me," she said, handing him the tissue and focusing her gaze on his tearful eyes. "I just want you to trust me that nothing will happen to me. It's not because of you that I didn't sleep. I have been operating in a similar way for a long time, because these attacks are too exhausting for me. When I tried to hide it from you, I just overdo it. My sleep was based only on my Thursday self-improvement classes. However, since I don't have to hide anymore, we can agree that I will try to sleep a bit during the day on weekends and possibly sometimes during the week after classes. However, there is no option to wake you up at night."

Fujisaki-san nodded slightly in agreement. He didn't seem very convinced, but at this point she didn't want to pressure him into making any major declarations. She subjected him to sufficient stress today. When the boy finished wiping his eyes, he seemed surprised that Haruka remained in her place.

"Thank you for taking care of me today," she said gently. "I very much appreciate that," she smiled broadly, even letting him see the slight blush on her cheeks that she always seemed to hide.

"You can...always...count on me...," he stammered nervously. His face also had a blush. Despite this, the boy didn't break eye contact either.

Chapter 17: Chapter 16

They looked at each other for a while until Haruka broke the action to look at the clock. It was around 5 a.m. Their discussion took up another part of the time that Fujisaki-san could have spent sleeping...

"Theoretically, you could try to take a nap before class," she suggested, sitting on the floor by his bed. The boy looked at the clock and seemed to consider her proposal for a moment.

"Before I could fall asleep, I would probably have to get up already," he replied after thinking, to which she made a resigned face."I have often stayed up all night when I was absorbed by what I was dong on my computer," he added in response to her reaction. "So, please don't worry about it," he concluded with a gentle smile.

"If you say so," she backed down, and her face brightend a bit, mainly because of his smile. "So... what now...?" She wasn't sure if she was asking the question to him or to herself.

"If there's still some time left...,," he began hesitantly. "Could we just... talk?" It was so surprising to her that after all this time he still didn't have enough of her "Unless you’d rather rest… I don’t want to…"

"We can talk," she replied gently. "You can ask me anything you want, I owe you at least that much after today," she added after a moment of thought.

It was a dangerous declaration, but she didn't expect any extremely personal questions from the boy. She usually avoided talking about herself, so Fujisaki-san deserved to know at least something about her.

"You don't have to…"

"But I want to," she concluded, confirming her statement with a gentle gaze directed at him. "Ask while you can, this opportunity may not come again soon," she joked.

After her statement, the programmer hesitated, but ultimately decided to listen to her.

"What is your favorite color?" he finally asked, his tone and gaze indicating that he was deadly serious.

"Color?," she repeated, making sure she understood him correctly.

"Yes," he replied, convinced, and she started to laugh.

"Of all the possible questions, I didn't think of such a simple one, " her tone still had a slight giggle. "If I had to choose... it would be yellow." To be honest she had never really given it much thought. "You like green, right?"

"Yes... I guess I'm easy to read," this time he laughed.

"We live together, and you have a lot of green things," she pointed out. "However, you never know, you might as well hate it. My notebook, which I carry everywhere with me, is pink even though I don't like that color very much. It was a gift for my 8th birthday, so I decided to use it after all. After these 7 years, I've gotten used to it."

"That means… you’re also 15 years old now…?," he asked, referring to her statement.

"I turned 15 in February," she replied briefly and stood up for a moment to grab a blanket from the other side of the room. It had gotten a little chilly for her again. "That's why the pink notebook, when you have your birthday so close to Valentine's Day, all the things in the stores become pink or red. A bit shitty…," she concluded with a slight sigh. 

All the bags, cards, and balloons she had received usually had hearts on them. It's a good thing she stopped celebrating her birthday a long time ago.

"I understand what you mean..."

"Don't tell me you were born on Valentine's Day or on 12th or 13th. I'm from 8th, so you can still beat me."

"Worst… I would say that having a birthday on Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be so bad after all."

Haruka began to wonder what he could possibly mean. It was clear from what he said earlier that his birthday had already passed, which meant she had months from January to May to work with. She tried to think of something that could be even more persistent than Valentine's Day. After a moment of contemplation a realization dawned her.

"Isn't that a White Day?" What could be worse than a White Day for a guy who pretends to be a girl, than Valentine's Day?

"Unfortunately, yes. You are very clever Yoshida-san," he complimented her with a broad smile on his face.

"Didn't you expect that?," she asked teasingly.

"I would say quite the opposite...," he replied quietly, blushing slightly.

"Still not more clever than you...", she returned the compliment, which made him blush even more. "So you're showered with flowers on your birthday, huh?," she returned to the previous topic.

"Yes, mostly flowers and chocolates."

"If it's the same here, at least I'll enjoy the flowers in the room. I'll use some of your misery," she laughed.

"Do you...like flowers?"

"Yes. Roses especially. However, I didn't get them too often because I wasn't very popular among the kids at school, and later I studied at home...," she let the last part slipped out at the last second. During the conversation with him, her tongue loosened again.

"After I started cross-dressing and people started paying more attention to me in a positive way, I realized that sometimes I would rather be just invisible...It may sound a bit silly…," he, despite his final hesitation, also seemed to be speaking more freely than usual. He didn't usually express his opinions so openly.

"It doesn't sound stupid at all. I think it's a good solution. All in all, despite a few minor incidents with my peers, I was treated like an air, which suited me just fine, since I didn't really get along with most people anyway. I dislike unnecessary praise," she confessed, returning to her own memories. "To be honest, my mother felt it more than I did...that I didn't fit in. She always wanted me to represent my name with dignity, " she added in with a bitter-sweet tone. "I wonder what she would think of me now…? She'd probably hate me," she thought.

"My father had a hard time accepting that I was cross-dressing, but eventually he came to terms with it. As for my mother, I'm not sure if she would understand. Sometimes I think she would hate me," he confessed with a sad smile.

When she realized what he had just said, she was shocked and couldn't speak. It's unbelievable that their experiences were so similar. Like they were connected... 

The boy had to notice her confusion and reacted right away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to create that kind of atmosphere..."

"Don't apologize... I just... thought something similar about my mother. The more time passes, the less I remember about her, and we weren't really close before she died, so it seems like the only thing I remember is the negative...," she confessed, returning his earlier sad smile. "I didn't know your mother, but I know you, and I think it's hard to hate you," she returned to the subject, because she was starting to lose control of what was coming out of her mouth. 

She had never shared her feelings about her mother with anyone before. Ever since her mother passed away, the topic of her was forbidden in the house, and she had the feeling that she would always live in her shadow.

"I didn’t know her either… and that’s probably the problem. She passed away just after I was born. From what my father told me, the amniotic fluid got into her bloodstream.

"You've won the competition for who had it worse twice today," she said jokingly, trying to diffuse the tension, and the boy actually chuckled. "The only advantage you have over me is that since you didn't know her, you don't miss her as such, I would rather call it longing..."

"For the mother's concept?" he finished, his voice a bit shaken. However, she was not entirely sure if the takeover was due to the fact that she had offended him. She also couldn't read his facial expressions.

"That's exactly how I would put it, but I probably shouldn't say what you feel or what you should feel in this situation..."

"You're right!", he interrupted her in the same voice as before, but this time with a different expression. It looked a bit like relief, but that emotion didn't fit at all with the conversation they were having. "Whenever I told someone that my mother had died, I heard in response: I'm so sorry, you must miss her very much... and I always felt guilty that I didn't feel that way... I thought... that there was something wrong with me..."

If it wasn't enough punishment for him that he never got to meet his mother, he also had to deal with a constant feeling of guilt and thoughts about what she would think of him if she were alive. Fujisaki-san liked to blame himself for everything, and others made it easy for him to do so. It was completely natural for her that he had a hard time missing something he didn't know. God, how she hates people.

"Everything is fine with you, Fujisaki-san. People are just very sensitive about death, often even more so about death that doesn't affect them at all," she assured him, changing her position so that she was more turned towards him. "My mother died when I was 10 years old. It was sudden. One day I saw her moving around the house, and the next day she was gone. Car accident, death on the spot. The surroundings had no idea how to react. The amount of nonsense I've heard from others... about how I feel and how I'm grieving is unimaginable."

"It must have been terrible... all of a sudden..." 

"It was…," she whispered. "Everything that happened after her death was fucking terrible," she thought. "But it's been a long time," she concluded, not wanting to continue the topic. She had already said too much anyway.

She got up from the floor and went to the window to let some light into the room. It was after 6 am., so theoretically she could have started getting ready for class. "You start at 8 as well, right?," she leaned against the window sill, the sun's rays warming her back.

"I have logic at 8:20…," he announced, watching her closely. He seemed still agitated by their previous conversation. She couldn't blame him, especially since her emotions remained with her too. Now she just tried to hide them.

"I sympathize. You have to use your brain from morning on. I have the advantage that my morning will be based primarily on muscle memory."

She was happy that she had a gymnastics class, as it would wake her up a bit and loosen her stiff muscles. If they started for example with mathematics today, it would be the death knell.

"I think I prefer this over gymnastics, especially in the morning," he laughed, and she was struck by the fact that the boy knew what her activities were even though she hadn't mentioned them.

"Maybe you're right. Since you remember what my classes are going to be, your brain seems to be functioning quite well despite the lack of sleep," she decided to use this to tease him for a bit. She needed something like this after their previous discussions about the past.

"I mean... you mentioned muscle memory... so I had the choice between gymnastics and dancing... Acting and cooking could also be included, but first two fit better...," he tried to explain. His tone changed to slightly nervous, and his cheeks turned red.

"The fact that you know all my subjects is also pure... coincidence?," she looked at him with exaggerated curiosity, and a cheeky smile appeared on her face.

"I…," Fujisaki-san now stared at the floor, his face turning tomato red.

She walked closer to him, hoping he would look at her, but he didn't. She immediately felt the strong need to lift his chin to make him do it. She instinctively raised her hand, bringing it closer to the boy's face. She managed to regain her senses and pull back her hand at the last second.

"I shouldn't tease you like this, sorry,"  she backed away from him slightly. "We live together, so it's normal that you know my schedule," the programmer looked up from the floor and finally focused his gaze on her. 

The boy seemed to calm down a bit, because he looked at her gently, and only a slight blush remained on his cheeks. "Besides, it's the only day when we start separately, so it's not that hard to remember...," she didn't want to pretend that she didn't know his timetable .

As she mentioned, it's normal for roommates to know such things. "For example, I know you also have logic tomorrow after lunch break and self-improvement on Friday," a smile appeared on his face, and she breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't take the situation so personally. She definitely overdid it this time. "I think I should start getting read. Knowing me, I'll still have trouble getting ready on time," she walked over to the closet and took out her uniform, which turned out to be not as wrinkled as she thought.

"I think it's hard to hate you too," he declared with full conviction out of nowhere. He was probably referring to her statement about him.

"I hate myself, so I don't think it's that hard," she replied to him in her thoughts. She was fully aware that he might also hate her one day. If he was at all capable of such feelings toward anyone…

"I believe you do," she replied with a slight smile and headed to the bathroom.

As she prepared, she tried to understand what thought processes had led her to behave that way. She must be so exhausted that her brain is just playing tricks on her...

---

After a whole week, her biggest achievement was making a star jump in gymnastics, albeit clumsily, but still. Her stubbornness finally had some effect, and she gradually improved her physical fitness. Her next goal was to stand on her hands. 

She could also count among her smaller successes the preparation of a fairly edible ramen while cooking. Although the dish was a bit too salty, it still tasted the best of all the dishes she had prepared so far, which biggest problem was their complete tastelessness.

Additionally, she managed to prepare lunch for herself, Fujisaki-san, and Ishimaru-san, just as she had promised. Of course, being aware of her culinary skills, she opted for something simple. Omuraisu, which she chose luckly was exacly like that. The omelet with rice wasn't hard to make, and more importantly, she could eat it herself because it didn't have any weird ingredients in it. In her opinion, it tasted okay, but her classmates seemed to love it. She didn't take it personally though, because she thought they were just being polite.

She also managed to take a peaceful nap during self-improvement on Thursday and finally start preparing for her solo performance at the July festival, which was awarded to her by her teacher, during music class. Although she wasn't the only one to be recognized, as Maizono also received the opportunity, she certainly felt appreciated. She wasn't sure what song she would sing yet, but at this point, she was leaning towards Lady Gaga, which would give her a lot of opportunities in terms of the costume she could use on stage. Besides, pop music was always the most appealing to her.

The less pleasant news was that photos will be taken of each student at the academy. As she had learned, they are taken every year and are meant to showcase the talent of the photographed individual. The concept is as one wishes.  The shot will, of course, be on the school's website in the yearbook section and will also be used during all kinds of festivals and other events. Of course, the idea didn't sit well with her, and not just her alone. When Ono-sensei announced that the aforementioned session would take place and that it was mandatory, some of her classmates could be seen looking displeased.

Many of them couldn't understand why such a photo was necessary in the first place. They already had one group photo taken right after everyone passed the exam, and that was totally enough. Fujisaki-san was also among those who would have preferred to avoid participating, which did not surprise her. When she thought about it later, she realized that the boy was in a much worse situation. She could at least hide behind a costume, but he couldn't.

Her main goal was to pose for the photo in a way that would hide her face as much as possible, but not in a weird, forced way, because that would look too suspicious. To be honest, she wasn't a fan of being photographed even as a little kid. In her family, there was an annual tradition of taking a group photo around Christmas time. She hated being told to pose for a photo, which is why she stands stiffly and has a very serious expression in most of the photographs, being a great contrast to her smiling parents. After her mother's death, the tradition continued, and she looked more and more worn out on the photos each year...

Chapter 18: Chapter 17

Recently, she realized that the longer she stayed at Hopes Peak, the more intense and interesting her days became. It's only been two and a half months since she stood at the academy gates, and her life has changed so much, she... changed.

She definitely had more energy and was more focused than before, which helped her improve her skills. Her physical fitness and coordination improved significantly, and with that came increasingly difficult gymnastics moves and more complicated dance routines.

She was also getting better at cooking classes. She has worked through a huge number of recipes and learned various techniques for preparing meals. What's more, she had a lot of tasty dishes on her account that she could prepare completely on her own. However, in terms of taste, she had to take Ishimaru-san's word for it, and most of all Fujisaki-san's, who most often ate what she prepared in cooking classes. It was because all the dishes they prepared in class were to be consumed by them after class. Since she herself did not like many things, her roommate in turn ate practically everything and was very eager to try new things she made in class. It became a sort of rule that every Monday evening she brought something to eat to their room. If it was something she also liked, she would make a larger portion in class and they would eat the meal together. If not, the boy would eat the dish she had prepared, and she would make something else for herself in return.

Her eating habits also changed; she ate much more and generally had a bigger appetite, probably caused by her high physical activity during the day, which in turn could have been the result of her sleeping more. As promised, she devoted more time to sleep, and although she only slept a few times a week during the day, it certainly had its results. Attacks continued to occur, but they were usually limited to 1-2 per week, with the difference that she began to recover after it a bit better... 

During her naps, Fujisaki-san was usually in the room. He has recently limited his outings with the girls from the class and going to dorm parties. He always seemed to be ready when she awoke from a nightmare and tried to provide her comfort and support. He also tried to distract her from the negative emotions she experienced by talking to her, though never asking her about her dreams or why she reacted that way.  Respecting her privacy was one of the many other advantages her roommate had. These actions made her calm down faster, but also made her feel safer when she was falling asleep when he was nearby.

She didn't know whether the boy was doing it on purpose or just finally trying to make decisions based on his own feelings. He often seemed to come to her, asking her to come up with an excuse to avoid some meetings. As she had observed, Fujisaki-san liked to have fun from time to time, but not as much as their classmates were used to. Asahina-san, with whom the boy got along best, had a habit of constantly coming up with some kind of meetings, girl partys, and so on, which exceeded the programmer's social battery. 

She was able to understand him completely in this regard, because for her a school day was enough in terms of being around other people, although she had to admit that her lunches with Ishimaru-san weren't as difficult as she had once thought. Moral Compass was a really nice and warm-hearted person with whom you could have many interesting conversations. The boy had a broad knowledge and, after getting to know him better, a good sense of humor. It seemed like they got along well and she didn't have to wear a tight mask around him; she could just be more herself.

Of course, she was not as at ease in his company as she was in her own room. She didn't feel as comfortable as she did when she spent time with Fujisaki-san... 

After her struggles came to light, Haruka felt that at least in their own small space in the dorm, she didn't have to pretend that she has total control over her life.  Her roommate allowed her to express any emotions she wanted and gave her space to keep some things to herself. He, as a matter of fact, also had the opportunity to express himself freely without restraint only in the room. It is possible that they enjoyed spending time together and did not feel as tired around each other because they did not have that luxury with others. It even seemed at times that despite each of them being busy with their own activites, they still preferred to be in each other's presence. However, Haruka only considered it as a habit that developed from the fact that they shared a room and had very similar personalities.

As for the photo shoot that was announced earlier, she somehow managed to take a photo that she was quite happy with. She decided to pose as Julia from Shakespeare's play in her characteristic mask that she wore to the ball when she first met Romeo. After the photos were made public, Haruka received many complements about the shot, and most importantly for her, no one seemed to find it suspicious that her face was covered. However, after reviewing the rest of her classmates' photos, she found a much better photographs than her own. For example Enoshima-san did a great job, but it was clear that she was a professional. Fujisaki-san also escaped unscathed during the photo shoot. Following her suggestion, he covered himself with a pile of electronic equipment that took up a significant part of the shot. The end result, in her opinion, did not look too bad, and there was nothing suspicious to be found about it ether.

---

Monday was one of the longer days she spent in class. The cooking lessons ended around 5:30 pm. However, by the time she managed to gather her things and return to the dormitory, it was already 6:00 pm. That day, they were preparing unagi, and while skewering and grilling the eel itself wasn't too difficult, filleting it to make it look somewhat presentable was not so easy. Although the final result wasn't the worst, and the meat will still be covered in soy sauce at the end, she wouldn't say she's proud of herself. There was only hope in the taste. Of course, she doesn’t get along with eel, but Fujisaki-san probably won’t complain.

When she entered the room without surprise, she found her roommate at the desk. He finished his classes at least 2 hours ago and when he came back to the dormitory, he was immediately absorbed by his computer and didn't even have time to change out of his uniform.

"Today I will serve you an eel, I hope you won't get poisoned," she declared just after crossing the threshold of the door. Standardly, she threw her backpack on the floor near her bed and showed the programmer the box containing the dish she had mentioned.

"I won't poison myself,"  he closed the laptop and gave her a slightly irritated look. "You always say that, and then it turns out that something is really tasty..."

"Or you're just not very picky...," she removed her jacket and threw it on the chair. She immediately felt relief in the upper part of her body. This stiffly cut part of the uniform was not her favorite. "Or too nice... or both," she added, leaning against her desk, and he just rolled his eyes in response.

Fujisaki-san seemed to show his character more and more, which only came to light during their conversations. She assumed that most people who knew him were unaware of how stubborn he could be.

"Or you cook well," he approached her and held out his hand, signaling for her to pass him the box. Although she returned to the room right after class, the food she brought was usually lukewarm and needed to be reheated.

"I’ll go to the kitchen. I need to heat something up for myself anyway. I'll pass on eel today," she approached her fridge and took out a box of yakitori. "I'll match you and I'll get the skewers too, but made from chicken."

"I think I can also handle reheating two things," he smiled and took the boxes from her. "You have worked hard enough," he said to her with a gentle gaze, and his voice conveyed concern. That was enough for her to give up.

When he heated up the food, she changed into something looser and prepared a place to eat. They usually ate at her desk because it was practically empty, unlike the programmer's. She usually kept only books, notebooks, and possibly loose sheets of paper with her own notes on it. She gathered all of it into a pile, which she moved to the corner of the desk top. Soon after, Fujisaki-san was already in the room with the heated food and took a seat in the chair prepared for him next to her.

"I told you it would be delicious," he reminded her after eating half of the first skewer. "You're great...," he added in a low voice, and his face began to turn red. "…great cook," he corrected a few seconds later in a more nervous voice, and she involuntarily smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," she focused on eating her chicken, slightly lowering her head to hide her blush. For a while, they ate in silence, savoring the quiet. After the all-day din at Hopes Peak, this was very relaxing. She would occasionally glance at the boy. It was nice to see him enjoying the meal she had prepared.

"Owada-san approached me after class today," he hinted as she finished her second skewer.

"Since you mention it so casually, I assume you had a friendly conversation."

"Owada-san initially appeared stressed, but was very kind. He asked if I could help him with the last task we received in IT."

Haruka had noticed earlier that the motorcyclist often became stressed in the presence of girls and was certainly less talkative and energetic around them. He usually treated the opposite sex in a polite manner, so it was a relief to her that he also behaved decently towards Fujisaki-san. However, this did not change the fact that she did not have a liking for the Owada, because he behaved completely differently towards men. Sometimes, all it took was an improper glance to set him off. She didn't want to even imagine what would happen if the gangster discovered the secret of her roommate and how he would treat him after that.

"That's good," she concluded briefly and began to collect the dishes after finishing the meal.

"I'll do the dishes," the programmer blurted out. "You cooked," he said, taking the plates from her and moving toward the door.

"Do you want to watch something?" she asked before he could leave the room. Recently, she has been taking the initiative more and more often. Although it was late, a short screening could have been held. From what she remembered, they had no homework or a test the next day.

"We can," he smiled broadly. He was clearly pleased with her proposal. "Choose whatever you want, I don't mind anything," he said, then backed away to his computer and turned it on.

"I would be surprised if you said otherwise," she laughed.

She sat down at the computer and began to search the browser for inspiration. When the boy first suggested that she look for something on his computer, she felt a bit uncomfortable, especially knowing how valuable the device was to him, but over time she got used to it and had no problem using the laptop if the programmer agreed to it. Her search took some time because Fujisaki-san had returned to the room and changed into pajamas before she decided on something specific. In the end, it was "Hotaru no Haka" that won.

They were already sitting at the boy's desk, as they always did when they watched movies together, and Haruka was about to press play on the player.

"Maybe we could sit on the bed...? he suggested unexpectedly. She looked at him uncertainly. The proposal made her a little uneasy, especially since she didn't mind it if she thought about it for a bit longer. "We don't have to," he responded nervously after seeing her reaction, "I just thought... that it would be..."

"More convenient…," she finished for him. She still wasn't 100% sure that it was a good idea, but after a whole day of classes and many hours spent sitting in chairs, especially by her roommate who had much less physical activity than her, the bed was a good alternative. "May it be yours?" she asked, standing up. "I don't really like mine, as we both know," she said with a gentle smile, and he just stared at her for a moment without saying anything. "Unless you changed your mind..." she added when he didn't give her any respond.

"No, no," he immediately denied and stood up from his seat. He walked over to his bed and pulled the comforter to the side. He arranged two pillows against the wall to create a backrest and moved the laptop from the desk to the bed, and placed a blanket nearby in case it got cold. "Please…," he invited her shyly to the bed. She sat on the bedding and leaned against the pillow he had prepared earlier. Fujisaki-san sat down next to her so as not to touch her, then placed the computer on his lap. "Are you comfortable?" he asked before turning on the movie. "If you want, I can move away a bit..."

"You don't have to," she declared a bit more offensively than she had intended. "It's fine the way it is," she added, smiling softly, and then turned on the player.

Soon after the film began, Haruka reached for a blanket because the evening chill had caught up with her. It was only then that she realized how comfortable it was to sit on soft bedding and lean against a comfortable pillow. During the watching, they didn't comment too much, but the atmosphere didn't seem awkward. Both seemed relaxed. Although the movie was not long, by the middle of it, the late hour combined with the cozy conditions seemed to take its toll, and although the actress had spent some time sleeping over the weekend, she still struggled with her fatigue much more than Fujisaki-san, who only happened to yawn twice while their watching . Despite her great interest in the unfolding events, her eyes began to close, and the sounds began to fade. At some point, the feeling of warmth and calm was so pleasant that she decided to keep her eyelids closed for a bit longer.

---

The film was nearing its end, and Chihiro, who had been so engrossed in the fate of the characters for some time, had completely focused his attention on the screen. He was only torn away from the computer by a sudden feeling of weight on his shoulder.

To his great surprise, the source of the phenomenon turned out to be Yoshida-san, whose head seemed to be leaning on him. He stopped the movie and began staring at his roommate. He immediately felt a wave of heat flow through his body. His heart started pounding so hard that he felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

"Yo..yo..shida-san…?," he nervously asked, but the girl didn't react at all. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing slowly, and her face was relaxed. "She fell asleep," he thought, recalling a similar image of the actress that he had seen while watching her take naps during the week.

This view was one of his favorites because she looked so calm, as if she felt safe.  He wishes that every sleep she had would be like that, but his observations so far have proven that most of it unfortunately wasn't. Yoshida-san often fidgeted, breathed uneasily, mumbled in her sleep, and her expression was restless. Not to mention the sudden awakenings with screams and terror. Chihiro was well aware that someone had hurt her and felt completely powerless about it. He also knew that the girl didn't want to talk about it at all, and he didn't intend to pry into it in any way, although sometimes he would do anything to find out how he could help her more...

He didn't know what he should really do now. He definitely didn't want to wake her up and take away the rest she so rightfully deserved, especially when she was sleeping so peacefully. After thinking about it more deeply, he came to the conclusion that he didn't even want to take her of him... He knew that it was very selfish of him, especially when he was aware that the girl had accidentally landed on his shoulder and had not really decided to do so of her own free will. On the other hand, he did not come up with any other solution that would seem effective. He didn't have the strength to move her to her bed, and besides, he couldn't imagine touching her  more without her permission. The only thing he could do was move back and leave her in her current place, but his movement could always cause to accidentally wake her up.

Despite feeling guilty, he left them in the same position, with the difference that he carefully reached for the duvet that he had previously set aside and covered them both. At night, a blanket alone might not be enough for Yoshida-san. Although sitting position and bright light were not very comfortable for him to sleep, he was aware that even in more convenient conditions he could not practically shut his eyes having his roommate so close to him.

The programmer, looking at the actress, returned to their conversation about her not wanting them to establish a friendship. He said that he would respect her decision... "She expressed herself clearly... and I'm not even able to say with a clear conscience that I see her as just a friend...," he thought.

Chapter 19: Chapter 18

The sound of the alarm clock echoed through the room. Her hard sleep was gradually interrupted by the device's hated beeping. Initially, she tried to ignore it. Instinctively, she wrapped herself in the comforter and hugged the warm pillow under her head. When the annoying sound stopped on its own, she didn't even think about it. She was so sleepy that only the typical "Five more minutes" crossed her subconscious. She was so warm and comfortable that she couldn't resist.

"Yoshida-san…?," she suddenly heard a soft voice that was familiar to her, and it seemed to be coming from very close.

She slowly began to wake up, reluctantly opening her eyes. At first, her sleepy eyes were blurry, and the bright sunlight hitting her eyes didn't help to make them clearer. When her vision improved, the first thing she could see was her empty bed on the other side of the room, which clearly indicated that she had slept outside of it. Dazed, she lifted up from a reclining position, realizing that Fujisaki-san, whom she had previously considered her warm pillow, was right next to her.

She was in total shock and immediately backed away from him, but still remained in her place. She nervously looked around, trying to remember how she had ended up in his bed, with him. At first, all the events from the previous evening seemed to be hazy until she noticed the turned-off computer, which was also on the bedding near them.

"Did I... fall asleep during yesterday's watching...?,"  she asked, a bit embarrassed, casting a shy glance at her roommate, who hadn't spoken a word since she woke up.

"Yes...," he replied, not very forthcoming. He seemed even more embarrassed than she was about the situation. He avoided her gaze and his face was all red.

"And you decided to… not wake me?," she tried to get more out of him to gain a broader perspective on the situation.

"Yes...", he said hesitantly, offering another brief response.

She looked at her clock. It was 6 am., and they had started the movie no later than 10 pm. Did that mean she had slept in that position... all night?! It seemed too abstract to be true. Maybe she had a panic attack at night and just forgot about it and fell back asleep. This scenario seemed more plausible, but it still didn't explain why Fujisaki-san hadn't woken her up all this time.

"Why…?"

"At first, I wasn't even aware that you fell asleep... I only realized when you fell onto my arm...," he began hesitantly, finally providing more details of the event. However, his gaze still did everything to avoid her. "You slept so peacefully...I don't remember...when was the last time you were so relaxed...", his next statement was already filled with stress. Hearing his familiar shaking tone, she feared that the boy would soon break down. She decided to give him a moment to calm down before bombarding him with more questions. When he seemed to be recovering, she continued their conversation.

"Did I sleep all night?," she finally mustered the courage to ask about what was most important to her.

"Yes, " he replied with full conviction. Although it was impossible for her, she didn't suspect him of lying to her. He had no reason to do so.

There was only one issue left…

"Did you sleep?"

He answered with such conviction that it seemed he had not closed his eyes at all, unlike her...

Why, no matter how hard she tries, such situations still happen. Why is she behaving so irrationally?

"A little bit…," his hesitation only further convinced her that he had stayed up all night, for god knows what. His stubbornness drove her crazy.

"A little bit?" she repeated, expecting a more specific answer. Her voice had a slight tone of irritation.

"I would fall asleep and wake up from time to time, but I'm sure I must have slept for a while..."

"We've already talked about this. Staying up all night…"

"Yesterday was different…" he interrupted her, not elaborating further.

"Yes in fact it was different because not only did you not sleep, but I also violated your personal space," she pointed out, and her irritation seemed to be getting more and more noticeable.

"It didn't bother me," he blurted out, equally dominated by their conversation, and finally looked at her. "If... the big light wasn't on and maybe... I'd lower us a bit, I'd probably sleep through the whole night like you," he clarified, maintaining eye contact.

Haruka finally had a chance to see his expressions. He had his usual flush on his face, his eyes glassy, and his cheeks a bit puffy. His slightly tousled fringe fell across his forehead, and his brown irises seemed to pierce her from the inside. She wasn't sure if he was stressed, irritated, moved, or all of the above.

"But I know I should wake you up..." he added quietly, and when the tears began to flow down his cheeks, he lowered his head again.

"Huh…?," she let out a uncontrollable sound. The sudden change in his attitude completely threw her off.

"Even if I didn't mind what happened... it doesn't change the fact that you weren't aware of it and that... I violated your space without permission...," his voice began to crack, and each subsequent word made her realize how guilty he really felt about what happened.

"When the alarm rang... ," she began hesitantly and felt her cheeks flush, "I...," she got stuck. She wanted to be honest to ease his guilt, but embarrassment blocked her. Her roommate, of course, did not ignore her reaction, and after her interrupted statement, he looked back at her. When that happened, it was even harder for her to say anything. She was too stressed to maintain eye contact and lowered her head.

She was not acting like herself. She needed to calm down, but w hen, after a moment it didn't happend and her embarrassment didn't leave her, the only thing she could do was... pretend that what had happened didn't affect her emotionally at all. She took a few deep breaths and relied on her skills.

"Sorry, I felt a bit overwhelmed. The last time I slept through the whole night was a long time ago... When the alarm clock rang, I was so sleepy that to be honest, I didn't even realize that I was lying on you. I thought you were just a pillow. I didn't feel uncomfortable during sleep and I don't feel uncomfortable now when I'm aware of what really happened," she calmly explained her part of the story, levelling out her blushes on her face and maintaining a sober look.

She decided to, of course, omit the fact that during her sleep he was an extremely warm and comfortable pillow that she would have liked to stay on for hours and that she felt completely embarrassed that the feelings she mentioned did not disappear even though she was now well aware that she had actually been lying on his arm all night. "Since nobody minded, we can assume that nothing happened, " she concluded, directing a gentle smile at him.

"I'm so glad I didn't hurt you," he said with relief, smiling back at her. When she saw that he was satisfied, her guilt over having to rely on her acting talent seemed to lessen slightly.

"Next time, I give you permission to move me to a lying position, so you can fall asleep yourself," she said offhandedly. "If you get up to turn off the big light, nothing will happen. As you can see, my alarm clock had trouble waking me up today," she added with a chuckling tone.

" Next time...," he repeated quietly, and then let out a nervous chuckle that made her stomach twist.

"I mean... of course...hypothetically...if something like that were to happen again...," she clarified, again rising to the heights of mastering her emotions.

"Of course... if something like that happens again... hypothetically... I'll know how to behave, " he concluded, casting a shy glance in her direction.

---

When her alarm clock rang on Thursday morning, of all things she decided to just turn it off and go back to sleep. She was completely absorbed by the warm bed and the soft blanket that wrapped around her. Although it was already the beginning of July, mornings still seemed cool to her.

The next awakening occurred after 2 hours when sunlight began to penetrate their room, shining directly on her face. Initially, she tried to escape from them by covering her face with the pillow she was lying on, but the light source woke her up enough that she suddenly realized how screwed up her situation was.

She sat up, and the first thing she saw was Fujisaki-san sleeping beside her, with a pillow on his shoulder, on which she had spent the entire night.

The hypothetical situation repeated itself... three times... within two weeks...

Each time she told herself that this was the last time she would do something like that, but when another opportunity came along, she couldn't resist it... And what's worse, such practices turned out to be damn effective. Not only did she sleep through the whole night, which meant she was more rested than in the last 4 years of her life, but she also remembered how sleeping used to be pleasurable for her... No nightmares, no panic attacks. It seemed almost unbelievable to her.

Fujisaki-san didn't seem to mind, but she wasn't really sure what was going on in his head. After every morning like that, they acted like nothing had happened. However, in her opinion, nothing significant enough had happened for them to have any serious conversations about it.

They only slept next to each other... on the same bed... but their touch was limited to her resting on his arm. Additionally, when the situation occurred for the second time, the boy changed their positions to lying down and put a pillow under her head, so theoretically, there was no physical contact between them. She turned her gaze to her roommate, who still seemed to be sound asleep.

When she looked at his relaxed face, a smile immediately appeared on hers, and she remembered the warmth of his body that kept her warm whole night. The memory brought her a huge blush. In contrast to her, his body temperature was always high. For years, she has struggled with her limbs being almost ice-cold, and especially at night, she is forced to put on a thousand layers to avoid freezing. With him, this problem seemed to be nonexistent.

However, if sleeping with her roommate wasn't enough of a worry the time on the clock definitely was. 8:50 AM meant that her acting class had been going on for 30 minutes already, and even if she started getting ready right now, she wouldn't have time to make it to the rest of the class. Well, she’ll have to explain herself somehow.

She looked back at her roommate. He didn't wake her because he didn't start his classes until 10 am. They had Japanese together then. Thursday was really an unfavorable day of the week for this kind of practice.

The boy's alarm clock probably won't go off until after 9 am. This meant that she theoretically had at least 20 more minutes to take a nap. She glanced at her bed, which didn't look very inviting to her. It not only reminded her of her attacks, but it was also probably cold.

She turned her gaze back to Fujisaki-san, this time noticing his fringe, which fell slightly over his eyes. It almost tempted her to brush it away with her hand, but she quickly dismissed the idea and returned to her thoughts about lying down again, and if so, where...

"Fuck this," she thought, and lay back down next to the programmer. "The milk is already spilled, 20 minutes in either direction won't change anything," she assured herself in her head and closed her eyes.

As she had predicted, the alarm clock rang soon after. When Fujisaki-san opened his eyes and saw her lying next to him, he looked surprised. She wondered if it was because she was still in the room at that hour or if he had forgotten that their watching had once again ended with them sleeping together.

"You shouldn't be in class? he asked in a sleepy voice, looking at the time on his phone. Her beeing in his bed didn't seem to make any impression on him. Whether he had already gotten used to it or it was because he hadn't fully woken up yet.

"I should," she replied briefly, wiping her eyes.

When she lay down for the second time, fortunately, she didn't fall asleep hard enough to have trouble waking up again. "I overslept," she said with a slight sigh, turning onto her right side, now resting her back against the wall. Fujisaki-san always made sure that she was on the side of the wall that made her feel more comfortable. She was very grateful to him for that. In this way, she stopped leaning on his shoulder and could see his face better during their conversation.

" When the alarm went off, I just turned it off," she laughed at her own foolishness. "I’ll have to come up with an excuse later."

"Maybe if I hadn't ignored..."

"Don't even finish," she said sharply. "Do you always have to find fault with yourself? You start at 10, you could get some sleep and you did. End of story, period," she concluded, throwing a pillow at him. "By the way… this isn’t my first time, and it certainly won’t be my last."

"Although... you slept well...?," he asked shyly and nervously began to play with the pillow that had hit him. Typically, his face turned red, and his eyes darted between her and the pillow.

"Too well," she thought.

"Every sleep without a nightmare is a success," she replied, sitting on the edge of the bed, because the distance between them was too overwhelming for her, especially when he looked at her in that characteristic way. "And you?," she wasn't sure if she wanted them to continue the conversation,  but the question slipped out on its own.

"Yes… I slept… well… very well…," he stammered, accompanied by a nervous chuckle.

"That's good," she said with a smile, pretending to be completely calm when in reality she was moved inside over by his statement, then stood up to start getting ready.

They typically didn’t discuss what had happened any further and instead focused on preparing for class.

---

After leaving the room, they delved into a conversation about the festival, which was fast approaching. From week to week, Fujisaki-san seemed to be increasingly stressed about the event. As is known, public speaking was not his strong suit, but Haruka was convinced that the boy would do just fine. During his stay at Hopes Peak, he gained a bit more confidence because, in addition to actively participating in classes, he also contributed to school life as a technical support and general helper on the IT floor.

"Half of them won't even understand what you're talking about, so I wouldn't worry about it too much, Fujisaki-san," she assured him as he fretted about possibly getting mixed up in his speech due to stress. "Even if you made something up completely, I suspect everyone would just nod to avoid looking like idiots," she laughed. "Plus, people at school like you."

"Despite everything, I'd rather not mislead anyone..."

"You won't do that. You know perfectly well what you're doing," she continued her assurances. "And if stress eats you too much, we can use the same patent as on the commission," she declared with a smile on her face.

"Will you be there?,"  he asked, immediately beaming, but he seemed surprised that she was going to show up.

"Your part is before mine, so I was planning to drop by," There was quite a big difference between their performances, so she could easily make it to prepare for her performance. "Unless you don't want me to…"

"No!," he was so moved that he stopped in the middle of the hallway. "I really wants you to be there!" His commitment was sometimes truly impressive.

"Okey," she tried to calm him down a bit, also stopping in the school hallway. When she stood directly in front of him, his brown irises immediately settled on her. "I'll be there... for you...," the sentence came out of her mouth completely uncontrolled, and she suddenly felt embarrassed by his gaze. She tried to hide her emotions behind a slight smile, which was met with a tender gaze and a gentle blush on her roommate's cheeks.

"Yo Fujisaki-san,"  a sudden deep male voice made her snap out of it.

She remembered that they were still in the middle of the main hallway of the building. After turning her head, she noticed a Owada standing next to them, who completely ignored her and only addressed the programmer.

Fujisaki-san seemed to be confused and needed a moment to react to the motorcyclist's words. The first thing he did was to step back from the actress, because it turned out that they were closer to each other than she initially thought during their... conversation, and he threw her another shy glance, after which he finally decided to answer their classmate.

"Owada-san, good morning…"

"I wanted to catch you after class…," the gangster began hesitantly, nervously scratching his head. "But since I've already found you...," he continued, still not getting to the point. "On Saturday, we're going to the city... me and a few other people from class. Kuwata, Maizono, Hagakure, I heard Asahina might be there too. Semester is coming to an end and we would like to have some fun before the summer break…" Despite the fact that he kept avoiding his interlocutor's gaze, he seemed to be speaking more confidently than at the beginning. Of course, his attention was fully focused on Fujisaki-san, and Haruka seemed invisible to him. "I thought maybe you'd like to come with us!?" he yelled, and threw a sharp glance in the programmer's direction. It was clear that stress had overcome him.

"Of course...," Fujisaki-san, who was a bit frightened, stammered and sent a hesitant glance in Haruka's direction.

"Cool…," Owada's tone softened again. "I'll send you the details later," he patted the programmer on the shoulder and headed towards the classroom where they were about to have a class. When their classmate disappeared from their line of sight, she moved closer to her roommate, because when the Owada approached him, she decided to step back during their conversation. However, she watched closely from the side in case she had to intervene.

"Everything okay?," she asked softly, sending him a gentle smile. She wanted to make sure the gangster didn't scare him too much. When he nodded, she felt a little better. "As you can see, people react differently to stress... For example, an Owada screams," she shared her findings.

"Yes… Owada-san can be scary sometimes…" he said, still a bit worried. "But I'm sure he had good intentions."

"I think the proposal was friendly in nature," she agreed with him. "So he won't probably murder you," she joked, and the boy brightened up. He smiled gently at her, and then they headed to the classroom together.

"Owada made me realize that summer vacation was coming soon," she said just before they entered the room. "I don't even know when it happened…"

"Actually, those 3 months passed so quickly…Actually, since we're talking about this...do you have any plans…"

"Fujisaki-chan!," he was interrupted by the scream of Asahina, who appeared right behind them. It was so unexpected that Haruka panicked and quickly stepped back toward the door in such a way that the door handle hit her back pretty damn hard. "You're so smart," the swimmer continued, turning to the programmer and hooking her arm around his shoulder. "You have to help me with this task," she grabbed his hand and pulled him to her desk.

As could be seen, her roommate was very popular, but sometimes she wasn't sure how much he really enjoyed it. When she found herself in the classroom, she greeted Ishimaru-san, took her seat, and glanced in the direction of the programmer, who seemed to be enjoying himself in Asahina's company.

Why, then, did something feel wrong to her, especially when the swimmer grabbed his hand...?

Chapter 20: Chapter 19

After class, she couldn't ask her roommate about what he wanted to say because Asahina had already dragged him off to lunch before Haruka could gather her things. At the cafeteria, Ishimaru-san was reviewing her English essay with her. It was typical of him to discuss this subject with her the most, as it was one of the few things in school in which she was better than him.

Additionally, they discussed Owada, who, according to their observations, now ignores the moral compass instead of being hostile, which they both considered a success. She wondered if his change was due to the fact that he had recently established a closer relationship with Fujisaki-san. Aware that the programmer maintains good relations with his roommate, he may have decided to let it go a bit.

During lunch, Ishimaru-san told her about his vacation plans. The basis of his plan was, of course, not rest, but productive use of every day. He certainly declared that he would give private lessons to elementary school children to earn some extra money. It was clear from their conversation that the boy was not well off, and he wanted to do everything he could to ease the financial burden on his father. Haruka considered this a very noble approach.

The advantage of last night was that she could finally use the self-improvement classes for the purpose they were actually invented for. After the music class, she decided to stay in the instrumental room and work on the lyrics to the melody she had written some time ago. Despite the significant progress she made in some areas over the past three months, one thing remained unchanged... her writing.

The pattern was always the same. She would write a decent melody, and then when she tried to write some lyrics, she would end up filling the pages of her notebook with pessimistic ramblings that had a pseudo-poetic character. And, of course, as was typical for her, it never went without a billion erasures, torn pages, and immense frustration. This is how the lyrics often ended up in the trash, and the melody in the drawer.

It looked like it would end the same way that day, because after the first 20 minutes, she had already destroyed one pen and left at least 3 torn pages on the floor. "This doesn't make sense," she thought, and sat down on the cold floor, leaning against the piano. She probably just had to accept that she wouldn’t be a great songwriter.

She closed her eyes and began to hum the tune she had just heard. It sounded so gentle that it was almost soothing. The text should also evoke positive emotions...

Continuing to hum, she decided to search her mind for at least one pleasant memory that would give her a foothold. However, she found a complete void in her mind, which she would not have dared to complain about under other circumstances. For most of her life, she was usually accompanied only by intrusive thoughts, so a clear mind was something she would have killed for. Although this state of affairs didn’t help her creative process.

She really hoped that her rested mind would be able to provide her with a bit more engagement. It turns out that good sleep isn’t the solution to everything…

"I wonder what he wanted to ask…," she thought about her roommate, who came to mind as she returned to today's morning in her thoughts. She suspected it was something trivial, but it still didn't put her mind at ease, because he had that characteristic expression on his face that she couldn't quite read. She would certainly not call such expression a sign of sadness or neutrality, but joy also didn't fit here at all. When Fujisaki-san was happy, his smile could light up at least half of a room. She involuntarily smiled when she remembered the programmer in this form.

„You’re smile like a thousands skys. I hear mysellf laugh for the first time in a while…I’m not use to stare at anyone but when I see you I lose track od time…Going all out just to keep you around…,” she sang. 

The words appeared out of nowhere. She opened her eyes wide and immediately jumped up, barely keeping her balance after such a sudden rise. She grabbed her notebook and quickly wrote down what had just come out of her mouth. It came to her so unexpectedly that she was afraid that she might forget everything due to her distraction.

When the verse was already on the page, she decided to confront it with the melody she had previously created. The sounds she played on the piano seemed to perfectly match the words. It seemed that they had formed an inseparable whole…

„Maybe our paths crossed by an accident… but I already know that I won’t be the same… Just as this melody I seemed to be waiting for you, quite unaware such a perfection is true…,” she continued singing the newly created words in her head, noting them down in her notebook at the same time.

This part of the text seemed to come to her even more easily than the previous one. In this way, she sang and created more and more. Completely absorbed in her work, she stopped paying attention to the passing time...

---

After the programming lesson, which Chihiro had the pleasure of taking alone and because of that the teacher often finished it a bit faster than planned, he quickly went to his room to use the bathroom. To his surprise, he did not find Yoshida-san there, who, if his memory served him right, should have been in a self-improvement class at this time.

The room seemed untouched since they had left together in the morning, which meant he was the first to return. This was certainly a novelty. The past few weeks had accustomed him to finding the actress napping or frantically getting ready to leave at this time on Thursdays, leaving at least an unmade bed that she hadn't had time to make before returning to class.

"She didn't have to nap today...," he thought, uncontrollably glancing at his bed, which brought back memories of that morning. A sudden rush of heat that not escaped his face was triggered by a memory of Yoshida-san sleeping, leaning against him at night.

He had never thought about sleeping with someone before, but he suspected that if such a thought ever crossed his mind, then it might have caused him discomfort besides embarrassment. However, when it came to his roommate in general, his feelings towards her were the complete opposite of that word. The second time the actress fell asleep during the evening watching, he couldn't hide his satisfaction, especially considering that he had her tacit permission to do so.

After turning off the light, turning the girl over to a lying position, and lying down next to her, it initially seemed to him that he wouldn't be able to sleep much because of the stress, but after getting used to the situation and realizing that his roommate was sleeping comfortably and that it was thanks to his company, he was able to relax and fall asleep, sleeping through the whole night.

Yoshida-san built in him a sense of greater confidence and openness to new experiences. Additionally, he felt better in her company than with anyone else so far. He could just be himself.

"Maybe she's on the music floor..." Chihiro began to wonder if he should go up to that floor to check his assumption out of...pure curiosity. Besides, there was still some time left before class, and he didn't have anything else to do anyway. Floor 6 was familiar to him, as he had found himself there at least a few times when he worked with Yoshida-san on his program.

Thanks to the girl, he was able to improve many functions, introduce interesting modifications, and add a lot of new options in that creation. Although it was originally created just to kill boredom and experiment with other areas than the ones he usually worked on, it has now gained much greater innovative and emotional significance for him. Working with his roommate was a lot of fun and taught him a lot. Yoshida-san's practicality, honesty, perceptiveness, and, of course, immense talent made their work go very quickly and smoothly. It was also a big help that they were very compatible with each other on many issues, which also translated into their successful cooperation in sharing a room.

---

After exiting the elevator, the boy found himself on the main corridor of the floor. Most of the classrooms he passed through were empty. It seemed that this part of the school wasn't popular at this hour, which further suggested that he might find the actress here.

The door to the instrument room was closed, and that was where Yoshida-san spent most of her time. The schedule on the door didn't indicate that there were any classes being held there at the time. Chihiro decided to knock first, fearing that even if his roommate wasn't there, someone else might be, and only then pull the door handle. Stressed, he first slightly opened the door to just peek inside. 

Through the gap, he saw Yoshida-san at the piano, playing a melody that he thought he had heard before. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn’t even notice that the door had opened. After a moment, she joined in with the singing.

„Just as this melody I seemed to be waiting for you, quite unaware such a perfection is true…I cannot resist even one thought of you, perfectly aware that I could never have you… Nevertheless no one can stop me from dreaming I could…” 

When her beautiful voice filled the air, everything else seemed to fade away. This included his rational thinking, which would have suggested that the programmer should let the girl know that he was there. However, Chihiro remained silent, staying in the same place the whole time, stealing glances at the actress and enjoying the song she was singing. "I'll let her finish... It would be rude if I interrupted her now...," he reasoned to himself.

„You’re smile like a thousands skys. I hear mysellf laugh for the first time in a while…I’m not use to stare at anyone but when I see you I lose track od time…Going all out just to keep you around..."

The song seemed to have a romantic character, but it could also be his misinterpretation. The lyrics, along with the melody, had the tone of a love ballad. "I wonder if she wrote with someone specific in mind...," he thought for a moment, but then pushed his curiosity away.

The text may not have had any deeper meaning for the girl, and even if it did, it wasn't his business, especially since Yoshida-san had never shared her texts with him before. After realizing this, he felt a great sense of guilt.

"I shouldn't have listened in," he regretted in his mind and closed the door again. After waiting a few minutes, he knocked again and then opened the door again, this time much wider than before. Yoshida-san was still at the piano, but unlike the previous time, she noticed that the door to the room had opened. She looked at him in surprise, immediately closing her notebook.

"Fujisaki-san...," her tone was uncertain. It seemed that she was so surprised by his presence that she didn't know how to start the conversation. She also seemed a bit... stressed? Or maybe it was just his imagination. It often happened that he wasn't entirely sure what was going on in his roommate's head. She was very good at masking her emotions. " I didn't expect you here," she added after a moment, looking at him more relaxed, probably referring to the reason for his sudden appearance on the music floor.

"You weren't in the room... I thought you might be here...," he explained embarrassed.

"I have to think about changing my location since it's so easy to find me," she joked, slightly lifting the corners of her mouth. She put all her things into her backpack and then started collecting loose papers that were lying on the floor. Chihiro was used to this sight, as their room looked similar when the girl was composing in it. "What do you need from me?" she asked, her gentle gaze directed at him, accompanied by a few strands of hair that fell across her face. They probably came out of the high ponytail as a result of bending down to pick up a pile of paper scraps on the floor.  The girl seemed to really like this hairstyle because she never styled her hair any other way. 

Chihiro saw her only with her hair down in the evenings. Her beautiful, dark, long curls made a huge impression, being another of the many features that made the actress look so beautiful. During those three nights spent together, it happened at least once that the programmer woke up in the middle of the night, and the girl's hair fell on his face. They were soft and smelled of the lavender shampoo that Yoshida-san used.

"Earth to Fujisaki-san?." his roommate's voice snapped him out of his reverie.

Daydreaming about his classmate's hair was definitely not a good idea, especially when he was in the middle of a conversation with her. He was overcome with embarrassment. He felt his face turn red. Controlling his emotions was definitely not his strong suit.

"I… got lost in thought for a moment… I’m sorry," his words were accompanied by nervous laughter, which didn’t help his situation at all.

"I asked why you were looking for me?," she repeated the question and threw the pieces of paper she had collected from the floor into her backpack. He wondered if she had noticed his nervousness or if she had deliberately pretended not to see it. "Did something happen?" she asked when he didn't say a word. She looked a bit worried now.

"No, no, nothing happened," he calmed her down.

He didn't really know what to say in response. "Just wanted to see you," he thought, embarrassed by himself.

"I just wanted to ask...", he began hesitantly, trying to gain time and come up with an excuse. "What are your plans for the summer?" he asked, thinking of the first thing that came to his mind.

"Plans for the holidays?," she repeated, raising her eyebrows slightly. He knew it sounded absurd that he was looking for her for this very purpose, but he hoped they would just pretend it sounded believable. It has happened before that they distorted reality to avoid… actually what…

"I wanted to ask about this before Japanese, but then Asahina-san approached and…," he nervously began to explain, at which she looked at him even more suspiciously.

"You know very well that I will be here for the whole summer," she announced. "Unless you're interested in what I'll be reading during my free time," she added jokingly, which somewhat relaxed the atmosphere. "As long as Hopes Peak doesn't organize anything interesting, I plan to do what I usually do, with the benefit that most people will return to their homes, so there won't be such a crowd in school, just silence and peace," she concluded. "And you?," she asked, somewhat straying from the topic and at the same time giving up further discussion about why he was really looking for her and why such a stupid question had come out of his mouth.

"We agreed with my dad that we wouldn’t go anywhere this year, so I’ll probably spend most of my vacation at the computer…"

"I hope you can take a break from the pressure that school puts on you. Plus, you'll spend some time with your dad."

Yoshida-san minded her words when they were in the common areas of the school. Sometimes he felt that she was more careful about his secret than he was. She never once made a mistake when she addressed him. Her skills were phenomenal.

"Actually it's a bit less stressful at home," "and less exciting," he added to himself. To be honest, there was actually a reason why Chihiro asked the girl about her plans for the summer break. He wondered if she might want to… go with him to Shizuoka. The fact that she would spend a month and a half completely alone, and that she would be experiencing panic attacks, was very troubling to him.

"And of course, you'll have your own room. Rest from me will also do you good, " she added jokingly. But he wasn’t laughing. Rest from her is the last thing that would come to his mind. However, it never occurred to him that she might want to take a break from him...

"You'll also have a whole room to yourself…," he tried not to show that his mood had sunk.

"I of the two of us am more noticeable in the room, " she suggested, not wanting to literally refer to her situation in a public place.

"Are you sure everything will be alright… When you're alone… ," he couldn't help himself and tentatively decided to bring up the subject.

"So that's what it's all about," she sighed and moved closer to him. She had been standing by the piano during their entire conversation, so when she suddenly moved, he was thrown off. "Are you worried that I'll be alone huh?", she asked in a gentle tone, looking at him with a gentle gaze.

Despite his embarrassment, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He had never been treated that way before. People usually didn't know how to behave or reacted nervously to his overemotional nature. Yoshida-san seemed patient and kind to him, which evoked many positive emotions in him that he couldn't quite name, because it seemed like he had never experienced them before.

"I thought maybe I could ask my dad if you could…"

"How many times do I have to remind you that you're not responsible for me and you have your own life?"

"I know, but…"

"No buts, have a peaceful vacation. I'll be fine," she assured him. "You know, I somehow had to survive 15 years without you," she said, laughing, and he blushed.

He didn't want to overinterpret her words, but their meaning was ambiguous, which left him perplexed. "Somehow" suggested that since they met, it was much easier for her, which made his heart palpitate.

When she saw his overreaction, it seemed that she understood the meaning of her words, because moments later blushes appeared on her cheeks, which made him go weak in his knees.  

Yoshida-san blushed relatively rarely. When it happened, it was a very delicate blush that stayed on her face for a very short time. He envied her for being able to control such a reaction, but being an actress probably had something to do with it. It didn't change the fact that the red blush added to her charm, and every time it appeared on her face, he tried to enjoy the sight as much as he could.

"Classes are about to start…We should get going, " she pulled away from him and put on her backpack. Unfortunately, there was no sign of her blushes anymore.

"Yes... you're right," he let her through the door and they headed towards the main building. They spent the entire way in silence. 

Despite the girl's assurances, Chihiro still seemed to worry about her, but he had no choice but to simply accept her decisions. If only he could have done something to keep in touch with her during those one and a half months of separation...

Chapter 21: Chapter 20

The festival will take place tomorrow, and with it, her first semester at Hopes Peak Academy will come to an end. To is almost six months since she ran away from home and, what's more, she has not been found.

The more time that passed, the less she thought about being discovered but despite this, she feared that as soon as she lost her vigilance, she would be caught in the blink of an eye. She wasn't really sure how her situation was resolved, because she still didn't have the courage to verify it in the media. It was certain that she would never be completely safe until she turned 18, but if she were declared dead and her search was stopped, it would be much easier to remain in hiding until that time.

Recently, she has been focusing on preparing for her performance, but also on writing, since the memorable unblocking of her songwriting block.

Although her texts were... questionably coincidental, she decided that for now she wouldn't think about them too much and would just keep writing to hone her skills in this area. They were quite good, which made their significance secondary.

She hoped that when she had another opportunity to perform, she would be able to showcase something original, and for that, she needed a lot of material to choose from. However, tomorrow she will have to settle for someone else's work.

After hundreds of rehearsals, she decided that she had perfected Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" very well, because that was ultimately her choice. She was not particularly interested in whether it would impress the audience. What was important to her was the opinion of the teaching staff, who had the competence to evaluate her performance in an objective manner, as well as her biggest critic. Herself.

Of course, she had to combine her festival rehearsals with her final exams, which fortunately she passed with flying colors. Ishimaru-san and Fujisaki-san were largely responsible for this, as they were the two most intelligent people in the class and helped her prepare for the general subjects.

She was especially grateful to her roommate for his contribution to her education over the past semester. Doing homework and reviewing current topics together definitely made her learning easier. She didn't think of herself as stupid, but her laziness and distraction often led to her neglecting her schoolwork. Not to mention how the programmer kept an eye on her sleep and meal schedule, which she tried to follow as much as possible because she didn't want to worry him too much.

After their last conversation, she decided to keep an eye on where she spent her nights. She really wanted to show Fujisaki-san that she was capable of taking care of herself and that his return home for the holidays was no reason to worry about her well-being.

She went back to sleeping during the day, mostly on weekends, because she couldn't afford long naps during the week due to her busy schedule. Although this sleep pattern did not provide her with the same rest, and attacks, contrary to her hopes, would sometimes appear involuntarily, it was still a thousand times better than the years of her previous experiences.

---

It was their last evening together before the summer break. The next day, both of them will be busy with the event preparations from early morning, and Fujisaki-san will return home right after the festival is over.

"At least I'm carrying a lot less stuff than I did when I arrived in April," he laughed, checking the contents of his already packed suitcase. It was hard to forget the number of bags she found in the room when she arrived. They were a stark contrast to the single backpack she had with her.

"Theoretically, it isn't that far if you forgot something," she said, turning the page of the book she was reading, or rather browsing, because her attention was focused more on the conversation with her roommate.

"Actually, it's less than 3 hours by car from Shizoka to Tokyo, so I'll be at arm's length if needed," he declared, sending her a warm glance accompanied by a broad smile. This suggestive declaration caused her to blush slightly, which in turn embarrassed the boy, who immediately turned red. "Of course… if I forget something…," he added nervously.

Haruka decided not to respond to avoid thickening the atmosphere, just nodded, smiled slightly, and returned to the reading page, which she had started reading anew for the third time because she couldn't focus on it at all.

The boy sat down at his computer after finishing his preparations for the trip and probably analyzed his speech for tomorrow for the thousandth time.

After at least 2 hours of sighs and nervous keyboard tapping, which she could recognize after living with a programmer for so long, she decided to intervene.

"This book really suck," she announced, drawing his attention. She didn't even have to lie to start the topic, because the book wasn't one of the best. "I'll return it right away. It's no use for you to go through this nightmare," Fujisaki-san was originally supposed to take the book with him if Haruka finished reading it. And she did finish the book, but it would be pointless for a programmer to waste his time on it.

"Is it that bad?," he asked, turning to her. It was already a significant victory for her, as she managed to distract him from the laptop.

"It’s worse than we expected, and I remind you that we had very low expectations."

"It's a bit unfair. Nevertheless, I think I should read it as a sign of solidarity," he got up from his chair and walked towards her. She was sitting on her bed. He stood in front of her and reached for the book.

"If I don't give it to you, you won't be able to read it," she laughed and hid the book behind her back, at which Fujisaki-san puffed out his cheeks and made an annoyed face.

"Yoshida-san, could you give it to me?," he tried to sound serious, but he couldn't hide the fact that the situation was also a bit funny for him. He leaned slightly toward her, but did not try to force her to give him the object. He respected her personal space too much.

"There's no chance," she declared triumphantly with a cheeky smile, leaning in his direction as well. Looking into his eyes, she saw a relatively high level of confidence. She didn't want to show it, but his piercing brown irises made her feel uneasy. He has also changed a bit since they met.

"The next one I read first," he let go and sat back down at the computer. When his attention returned to the laptop screen, another sigh escaped his lips. “I can’t…”

"If you keep telling yourself that," she pointed out, throwing him a sharp look. "I can shower you with compliments all you want, but you still seem to insist on your own way... Unless that's a tactic," she said teasingly, and he blushed.

"It's very….encouraging when you speak about me in such a nice way…," he replied shyly, avoiding her gaze.

"You're great," she said offhandedly, causing him to blush even more. "But stressing yourself out won't help you, it'll only hurt you. You keep repeating the same thing. You know it by heart. You repeat it so much that even I know it by heart," she laughed.

"Maybe you're right...", he agreed, but she sensed that he was still not entirely convinced.

"I'm sure I do," she said confidently, trying to convince him of her point. "You'll see tomorrow but today you need to rest."

"Then maybe… a movie?," he suggested shyly, sending her a warm glance.

"Speaking of rest, I meant sleep," she clarified, trying to subtly dodge his proposal.

"I suspect I won't be able to fall asleep anyway...," he took the laptop from the desk and sat with it on his bed, his gaze clearly suggesting that he wanted her to join him.

She didn't know if the boy was trying to put pressure on her, but it was hard for her to suspect him of that. He probably didn't realize how easily he could have her wrapped around his finger if he wanted to. She looked at him uncertainly, wrestling with her thoughts. It was clear that it wasn't about desire, because she had more than enough of that, the key was to behave rationally.

Fujisaki-san seemed to notice her uncertainty. "It's our last night before the holidays..." he continued hesitantly, trying to convince her. The word 'our' stirred her even more and seemed to tip the scales.

"One. Short one," she declared, moving from her bed to his, at which he smiled broadly. This boy will lead her to ruin... "And then you go to sleep," she added firmly, now sitting beside him. "And you choose."

Throughout the watching, it was impossible to miss the fact that her roommate kept glancing at her. What's more, the closer they got to the end of the movie, the more frequent his glances seemed to be. She tried to pretend that she didn’t notice them, but she knew exactly what the programmer was really after. He expected her to fall asleep during the viewing, and while watching her, he checked if that had already happened. Interestingly, however, he looked more tired than she did halfway through the movie, so she suspected that he wanted her to do it as quickly as possible.

When she checked that there were only 10 minutes left of the film, she began to wonder if she should not meet Fujisaki-san's expectations, especially considering that this might be her last night of sleep for at least 1,5 months. Proper rest before tomorrow's performance would definitely not harm her. It would be enough to pretend that she fall asleep...

On the other hand, she couldn't use that forever... She couldn't use him, no matter how much he suggested that he wanted to...

Time seemed to pass more and more, and she still couldn't come to a clear decision. However, fate seemed to suggest the solution to her. She unexpectedly felt a weight on her shoulder, which was none other than Fujisaki-san, who had literally collapsed from exhaustion.

She carefully removed the computer from his lap and set it aside, then moved him from her shoulder to a lying position. Then she put the laptop back on the desk and covered the boy with a blanket.

His calm expression brought an uncontrollable smile to her face. His fringe typically fell lightly over his eyes, but this time, unable to resist, Haruka brushed it aside, running her hand over his warm face. 

Despite how much she wanted to lie down next to him, she finally sat on the floor leaning against the doorframe of his bed. "I can't be selfish," she thought, gazing at her sleeping roommate.

"Taking a break from each other would do us a lot of good," she said in her head, trying to convince herself of the truth of this statement. After a few hours of watching the programmer, she fell asleep... on the floor, resting her head on the bedding.

---

Chihiro woke up before his alarm clock. He was a bit disoriented because he didn't remember going to sleep the night before. The last thing he remembered from the previous day was watching a movie with Yoshida-san, who was the first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes.

The sight of his roommate on the floor right next to his bed completely woke him up. He sat up and this time his attention was drawn to his computer, which was on the desk. The programmer's mind also did not contain any memory of putting the laptop on the desk, especially not in such an unusual way. The device was at the edge of the desk top and was not plugged in. Yoshida-san must have placed it there.

It seemed certain at the moment that Chihiro had fallen asleep while watching and the actress had put him to sleep, but the biggest mystery was still why she was on the floor. His roommate seemed to be asleep, but why wasn't she next to him on the bedspread or at least sitting in her part of the room with a book or her notebook in her hands. "Maybe she fainted?," he thought worriedly, getting out of bed.

When he knelt beside her and looked at her more closely, he didn't notice anything disturbing. The girl seemed to be sleeping peacefully despite the uncomfortable position she was in. Still, he couldn't stop thinking about how she got there.

"What if she had a panic attack and needed help, and I didn't wake up?," guilt began to creep into his mind, and the longer he sat there staring at Yoshida-san, the more it seemed to grow. Suddenly, his alarm, set for 7:00 a.m., went off. He didn't even realize how much time had passed since he woke up, and the sound of the device was a surprise to him. He forgot to turn it off.

The actress also reacted to the alarm unexpectedly, so it seems that she did not sleep deeply enough to ignore it. When she awoke, she seemed just as surprised by her resting place.

"Good…morning…," she said in a sleepy voice and turned her attention to the time. "It's still early…," she added, still not fully awake.

"I set a few alarms in case of…problems. This one is the earliest," he decided to be prepared in case they had trouble getting up. This day was too important to be late.

"Smart," she praised him while yawning and stretching. Spending the night on the ground in that position was certainly a challenge for her muscles. "Thanks to you, there's a greater chance I won't be late," she sent him a gentle smile and got up from the floor. She headed towards the window. Chihiro had already noticed that Yoshida-san liked to look out the window and watch what was behind it a lot.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep yesterday... I didn't realize I was so tired...," he decided to start the topic of the previous evening. He wanted to ask the girl what had happened after he fell asleep, but he wasn't sure how to bring it up, especially since she had decided not to say anything about it. "I hope I haven't caused you any trouble after all..."

"No…, " she replied, still staring out the window. She sounded a bit… distracted? "Why would you…?," she asked after a brief pause, and she turned to face him, leaning against the edge of the window sill as usual. The question was simple and even reasonable, but he hadn't expected it at all and had no idea how to answer it.

This often happened, especially when his roommate would signal something to him in a tone that didn't suggest at all what her attitude was towards the issue at hand. At such moments, Chihiro could understand why most of the class might see Yoshida-san as a cold, pretentious, and even somewhat intimidating person. It seemed that the girl even wanted others to see her that way.

Of course, he had no such feelings towards the actress at all. She was a warm, honest person with a great sense of humor and a dynamic personality, who sometimes, like now, could be a bit...overwhelming? He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he assumed it was due to her directness and, perhaps more importantly, her indifference.

The second one, to someone who doesn't know Yoshida-san, at first glance might seem completely authentic, when in reality, Chihiro thought it was just the girl's good acting skills. The programmer has already seen how talented his roommate really is. The closer he got to knowing her when they spent time alone, the more he was able to catch her tricks when she was with others, which meant he was also able to catch when she wasn't entirely honest with him.

Of course, he wouldn't call himself an expert in reading the girl, because even though he realizes that Yoshida-san is trying to avoid showing her emotions, he still doesn't know what's really going on in her head. What's more, he had no intention of holding her accountable for anything. She has the right to share with anyone only what she considers appropriate. He only saw his role as constantly letting her know that if she needed anything, he was always there to listen.

"I just changed your position to lying down, covered you with a blanket, and put the computer back in place, " she said again when she didn't get a response and moved towards him. "I didn't do anything more than you did when I used to fall asleep, so you don't have anything to apologize for or worry about," she concluded, standing in front of him. Her tone softened, and her gaze lingered on him.

Whenever she was that close to him, he got goosebumps. He would never have the courage to approach her like that, but he loved it when she did. It was enough that she was few dozen centimeters away from him to cause him to completely fall apart. He was already convinced that touching anyone else wouldn't evoke as much emotion as Yoshida-san gazing at him with her beautiful eyes, assuring him that he had nothing to worry about.

"Thank you... ," he could only manage to say that, forgetting what they had really talked about before and what his previous worries had been.

"We should start getting ready," she declared nonchalantly and headed for the closet. "Today is a big day," she added triumphantly, giving him one last look before starting to rummage through the closet for her uniform.

It was always astonishing to him that the girl could look unmoved after such moments, when he knew that for the next few hours he would still be reliving what had just happened. It was after situations like this that he wondered if he was seeing things that didn't exist and if his feelings were distorting his view of reality, or if it was just another demonstration of his roommate's skills and a further concealment of the truth by indifference..

"You're right...," he smiled shyly and began to prepare himself.

Chapter 22: Chapter 21

The festival was in full swing. The corridors were more crowded than ever. There were a lot of exhibitions in the whole building, where everyone could find something for themselves. It seemed that the school had tied up loose ends.

Although squeezing through narrow corridors and being among a mass of loud people wasn't something she would typically choose to do, she still had a lot of time before Fujisaki-san's performance, not to mention her own. She also had no family or friends to show the walls of the academy to, so all she could do was sit in her room, where she would sit for the entire summer, or look around the exhibited stands.

---

The first thing she knew that it would be worth visiting was the cooking room. Delicious sweets and exquisite dishes were on display, and of course, Hanamura and Ando were in charge. Despite her strong dislike for both of these characters, she had to admit that they did a really great job. Her eyes lit up at the sight of these fabulous pastries, which she would have liked to devour all at once. However, she knew that she couldn't afford to do that, especially considering her upcoming performance. With a full stomach, it would end in vomiting on stage rather than a successful appearance, so Haruka decided to just pick up two cupcakes, an eclair, and one beef skewer, and then quickly moved on to the next place.

---

The key that day was to draw as little attention to herself as possible and to move quickly between classes. Her next stop was the gardening floor. There she could feast her eyes on a beautiful flowers and eat the food she had taken earlier in relatively intimate conditions.

Haruka was a regular on that floor. From what she knew, it was primarily cared for by the biology teacher and the second-grader from class 77th A, Shikiba Santa Ultimate Botanist, along with the fourth-grader Kashiki Suzoko, Ultimate Mushroom Picker. It consisted of a greenhouse where fruits and vegetables were grown for use in the cafeteria and culinary classes, as well as many species of flowers, both common and more exotic.

One day, while the actress was walking around the area with Ishimaru-san, the boy told her many interesting facts about the plants that grow there, after he had already revised their science textbook and became interested in reading about botany. The last floor of the dorm also had a flower shop, which was probably waiting for a florist to move in. Unfortunately, Hopes Peak didn't have anyone like that at the moment, so there were mostly single flowers, from which one could create a bouquet if needed. Haruka was convinced that the place was most crowded around February and March.

Additionally, the garden area included two rooms typically used for educational purposes and a terrace that occupied a large part of the entire floor and caught the most attention of the academy's students. This is where you could see the huge fields that the school owned, a massive garden, and even a small park that the academy had created for itself. The terrace was also filled with ornamental flower pots, wooden round dark brown tables with chairs that matched them, and the same benches that were placed around the entire space. The place was distinguished by a decorative silver railing, which was wrapped in green vines in some places. The whole was completed by a transparent roof covering the entire structure. The most impressive thing was watching it as the raindrops fell on the glass surface, leaving characteristic marks behind.

However, Haruka didn't usually spend the most time on the terrace, mainly because it could get so crowded. During periods when the weather was relatively warm, it was besieged practically nonstop. Students ate lunch, spent breaks, studied, and organized social gatherings there. Even despite the late hours, Haruka had seen many couples also spending time in this very spot very often.

One day while wandering, the actress came across Maizono and Kuwata putting their tongues in their throats. It was a sight she didn't need in her life. It was definitely strange for the actress that two 15-year-olds, or even younger, managed to get involved in a relationship of that nature in such a short time but she may have been a bit biased, because it has been known for a long time that she and the idol didn’t exactly like each other.

However, something positive came out of this event, because Haruka just found another spot on this floor after it. The greenhouse mentioned earlier, in contrast, was not a popular place at all, and in it the girl was able to find a real gem. The room had a recess where a tool cabinet was hidden so that it wouldn't ruin the view of the entire floral arrangement. Although the piece of furniture took up some space, it was possible to squeeze in even two people, so she had a pretty large space to herself. It was perfect for a quiet, secluded sitting among the flowers. The greenhouse itself was also ideal because it was always warm, which was a big advantage for the actress. Haruka sometimes came there to read or compose.

To her delight, she managed to sneak away to the aforementioned place. Although a few people were lingering around the greenhouse, they were just taking a quick glance, because all the attractions were on the terrace where a large group of students gathered with their loved ones. As she walked through the floor, the actress glanced at the exhibits. However, the crowds there did not deter her from changing her plans.

In the greenhouse, she ate sweets in peace. She'll certainly come here even more often during the holidays. Cool evenings spent in a warm room with a book in hand. She instinctively reached for the flashlight in her pocket. There wasn't much light in the space at late hours, so that's what the girl used to get better lighting. Ever since she received it from Fujisaki-san, she has been inseparable from it.

"From today on, I'll be alone," she thought, playing with the object in her hands. Although she originally wanted nothing more than a single room, now the awareness of being alone in it was making her anxious...

---

Haruka spent the rest of her time wandering between the floors. She also took a look at the photo exhibition, which was organized by Koizumi Mahiru, the Ultimate Photographer from the higher class. The photographs were taken in the theme of landscapes. Haruka did not have the pleasure of sharing any activities with the redhead, but it was Koizumi-san who took the students' profile pictures. She was very professional and really knew what she was doing.

When the actress presented her idea, the second-year student immediately instructed her on how to make the shot look its best. It made such a positive impression that she allowed herself to exchange a few words with the girl after the session. Koizumi-san, known as the portrait master at school, because that was her specialty, also had a wide portfolio of other types of photography that she wanted to share with Haruka. Her work was truly amazing and didn't deviate from her specialization at all. However, she could be biased because she was not usually interested in people in general, and therefore not in the photos they were in. 

The festival exhibition also kept up the standard. Although from the short conversation they managed to exchange, the author herself was not entirely convinced, saying that it was definitely a leaving from her comfort zone. Looking at how she was occupied, however, Haruka dared to suspect that not only she herself liked the exhibition, and she also suggested this to the red-haired girl during the conversation.

---

As the time for Fujisaki-san's appearance approached, she decided to observe what was happening on the 4th floor to make sure she wouldn't be late. She found an exhibition of various inventions divided among Soda Kazuichi, Ultimate Mechanic from the same class as Koizumi-san, and Ultimate Welder from the last year Akabane Kenji.

Just next to it, you could see the works of Ultimate Blacksmith Izayoi Sonosuke from the 76th class, who was definitely an intriguing character, as he was Ando's boyfriend, which the girl, of course, loved to flaunt. The smith seemed to have withdrawn from social life and was somewhat out of place compared to his girlfriend, a typical school diva who was always in the spotlight.

The presented works were definitely impressive. The mere fact that one could come up with something like creating a motor on ammonia, for example, showed how talented Soda-san was. However, for her, a soul more inclined towards the artistic side, it was a bit of black magic. It happened more than once that Fujisaki-san had to explain something to her a few times, each time simplifying it more and more so she could understand some of his designs. His tolerance for her stupidity seemed to have no limits.

When the time of her roommate arrived, she headed to the right room where there were quite a few interested people. Haruka didn't plan to sit in the middle. She leaned against the doorframe, practically at the threshold of the crowded room. From this spot, however, she could see everything.

Stressed Fujisaki-san looked at his computer screen all the time, even though he should have theoretically started already. When he finally broke away from it, he nervously began to look around the room. He looked at everyone in it and she modestly suspected that he was probably looking for her among the gathered people, because when their eyes met, she saw a huge relief on his face, which in turn caused her to smile, which he obviously reciprocated. She gave him a motivating look and showed that she was rooting for him, which finally made him to start the presentation.

---

Unsurprisingly, Fujisaki-san did great and everyone seemed to be impressed. Although she knew exactly what he was going to say and was already familiar with the artificial intelligence project, she still enjoyed listening to her roommate. She was also happy that her presence could help him with his speech. Though she definitely noticed that the boy also had made a lot of progress just by himself since the last committee, because this time his gaze didn't settle on her completely and sometimes wandered between some people in the audience.

After the programmer finished, he was bombarded with questions, and he seemed to answer them all perfectly. When she landed within his sight, she gave him one last warm glance, and from her lip movement, it was possible to read "You were great," which he probably understood, because he smiled broadly, then returned his attention to the people interested in the presented program.

---

She, in turn, went to the 6th floor to slowly start preparing for her performance, which was to take place in the auditorium. She was given a small dressing room for herself, where she could get ready. There were a few such rooms on this floor, but they were only made available to students during major events. During a normal school week, they were required to use the locker room.

On the way to the dressing room, the actress glanced at the Yamada-san exhibition, which was also located on this floor for some reason, and not on the artistic one, that was only 1 floor higher. Although doujins weren't her thing, she could see that her classmate had a lot of talent for drawing. She also greeted Owari-san in the hallway, who was stretching out in the middle of the hall for her performance for some reason, and Saionji, who just snapped something under her nose and then returned to arranging her fan in her hand. As you can see, the dancer didn't have a lot of sympathy for her, although they didn't really talk to each other much, except for their shared lessons.

After relatively long preparations, she managed to get in on time and calmly wait for her turn in the back. There, Maizono was already standing on the sidelines, very focused, with a microphone in her hand. She didn't say a word to anyone, which seemed a bit out of character for her, but it could have just been her routine before a performance. Despite everything, it couldn't be denied that the blue-haired girl had a lot of stage experience and knew exactly what to do. The idol performed before her, so she could be invited on stage at any moment now.

The opposite of her classmate was Mioda-san, who was absorbed in a very lively conversation with Nagito. She laughed loudly and joked around. The actress observed that during their music class, so the girl's current disposition did not surprise her. She was as experienced as Maizono, and it seemed that her lack of calming down before the concert worked for her just fine.

For Haruka, this was her first performance on such a scale, and she didn't have a well-developed plan of action. However, looking at her, the lack of a plan is also a solution that has led her to the school at this point. When she peeked from behind the stage and saw the crowds gathered in the auditorium, it didn't seem to bother her in any special way, but when the idol was on stage halfway through her song, Haruka felt a slight nervousness.

She glanced back at the audience, now uncontrollably searching for Fujisaki-san among the crowd… "He's probably busy," she concluded when she couldn't find him in the crowd. She didn't blame him for not being there, but a hint of disappointment remained. They probably won’t see each other again until September…

She couldn't accept his offer and be a burden to him, and have his dad involved in it too. Not to mention the risky travel between cities.

What if they caught her at his house… or worse… what if he did something to him…The last thought brought her to a paralyzing fear. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't…

"Yoshida, you're next," Maizono, who had just exited the stage, interrupted her thoughts.

Haruka didn't answer her, just moved towards the stage, realizing how well she was sabotaging herself. Why did she start creating black scenarios in her head right before her performance?

She took a few deep breaths as she climbed the stairs, trying to program her mind to focus only on presenting herself in the best possible way.

She stood in the middle and lowered her head, waiting for the music to start. When it started playing, she looked up and to her surprise, she saw her roommate in the last row. Wanting to remain in the role she held back a smile and just held her gaze on him for a few seconds before starting the show.

---

She was exhausted, which meant that her physical condition was definitely something she needed to work on. However, she didn't make any mistakes, and the audience seemed satisfied, so she could count that as her small success. She sat in the dressing room at the dressing table and washed off the ton of makeup she had on, remembering all the positive emotions she had experienced on stage. She felt like a fish in water. Like she was finally in the right place.

If only there were fewer worries in her head… If these positive thoughts weren't just epizootic... If she was certain that she was safe…

Looking now at her clean face in the mirror, the image of the ticking bomb returned to her, which would not only destroy itself but also everything around it...

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. She was, as usual, procrastinating, and someone was probably waiting for the room. She got up and headed for the door. After opening it, she intended to signal that she would clear the dressing room very soon and just change into a uniform quickly. However, after pulling the door handle, she saw no one but Fujisaki-san.

"Am I bothering you?," he asked hesitantly.

"No," she replied briefly, wondering what brought her roommate to her. The festival was slowly coming to an end, and she expected him to head home soon. "Come in," she invited him inside, opening the door wider. The boy entered the room shyly, definitely hiding something behind his back. He was terribly stressed, but his expression didn't reveal any other negative emotions. "If you want to kill me with what you're hiding behind you, then I'll give up right now," she joked and closed the door behind him.

"You were fantastic today and... ," he began with a compliment, then got stuck in his sentence. He stared at the floor, and his face was all flushed. As she approached him, he looked at her with that piercing gaze, and she caught a glimpse of a green stem protruding from behind his back.

"This will surely kill me…," she thought, and her heart raced. 

"This is for you…," a beautiful red rose was now between them, held in his hand. "Of course, you don’t have to accept it..., but I thought…"

"Thank you... that's very kind of you...," she reached for the flower, her hand seemed to be shaking slightly. When it was in her possession, she began to stare at it enchanted, forgetting about everything, including breathing.

"I have something more for you..." After a moment, he pulled out a gray cell phone from his pocket. "I asked my dad to bring me my old phone and I managed to fix it... it might be useful to you."

"You didn't have to," she looked away from the rose and back at him, accepting another gift. He seemed more confident than when he handed over the flower, and as a result, he was more willing to maintain eye contact. The way he looked at her made her feel like she was going to faint, so she had to sit back down on the stool.

"Oh...And I have headphones too, I almost forgot. There's a lot of unused equipment lying around my house, and you'll definitely use it," he pulled out the object in question and placed it on the dresser.

"You know it's not my birthday yet, right?." she chuckled, but more nervously than usual, to which he responded the same way. Now that she thought about it, she was worried about what the boy would actually come up with for her birthday. "You're great... really, thank you," she smiled broadly, trying to appear as calm as possible. She did it mostly for both of them, because it was clear that he was far from being calm.

"I'm glad you're happy…," even though he was embarrassed, she could see that he was also proud of himself.

They looked at each other for a while, didn't want to say much and couldn't part yet. They seemed to prolong it even though they knew they could not go on like this forever...

"I should probably get going, dad is probably waiting in the car already…," Fujisaki-san, though reluctant, broke away, his voice clearly conveyed at least a little bit of disappointment.

"I need your number," she blurted out. "Maybe it'll come in handy..."

"I've already gave you my number..., just in case...," he replied quietly, even more embarrassed than before.

When she went to the contacts tab, the only number in the phone was indeed his. 

"Text me when you arrive…," she asked surprisingly quiet for her and got up from the stool. "This is...the best way to check if everything is working properly," she clarified her statement a bit louder and then moved towards the door. "I bet you have my number saved too?"

"Yes... yes, I'll text to you right away...," his face was a mix of surprise and agitation. It's impossible that he could have really thought that she wouldn't suggest something like that, but it's also possible that she had simply anticipated him.

"In that case, I wish you a safe journey and a great holidays," she already grabbed the door handle, but her gaze was still fixed on him. She hoped that the longer she looked at him, the better she would be able to capture him in her mind when he was gone… "And thank you again for the rose… for everything actually…"

"You're...welcome," he also seemed to be unable to take his eyes off her. "We'll see each other in September then...Have nice holidays too," he sent her a final smile and left.

---

After staring at the door for a while, Haruka sat back on the stool and turned her attention to the items she had just received from Fujisaki-san. After what just happened, she was even more exhausted than she was after her performance.

Her heart was pounding like a hammer, waves of heat were flowing through her body, and her face was the color of a rose in front of her. Besides, the memory of his piercing gaze and the blush on his cheeks began to haunt her, and it had not even been 5 minutes since he left the room.

The only positive thing about the boy leaving at last was that she could finally relax and let all those emotions out.

"God, how can someone be so perfect, agh!" she thought out loud, then leaned her head against the dressing table.

She could no longer have any illusions about the feelings she had for him. No matter how much she tries to deny it…

"I fall so hard...and I'm so fucked..."

Chapter 23: Chapter 22

F 18:30 "I made it home safely."

Haruka lay on the bed and stared at the text message she had received for a good few minutes, wondering what she should reply.

The usual 'I'm glad' or 'that's good' seemed insufficient to her, but on the other hand, she didn't want to write any elaborate and be too pushy ether. She also didn't want to send a text message saying 'That's good, have a nice vacation' because that would suggest that she wanted to end their communication for the next 1,5 months with just these two messages, which was obviously far from her true expectations.

Another minutes passed, and she still hadn't typed anything. "In a moment, he'll think I ignored him...," she said to herself frustrated. 

Y 18:43 "That's good. I also managed to get to the room safely."

"The less serious, the better," she thought, putting the phone on the bedside table, then stood up and sat at the desk to choose a book from her previously borrowed stack to pass the time.

As she flipped through the covers, she noticed a rose that was placed next to them on the desk in a tall glass that Haruka had found in the kitchen. She didn't have a vase, so it was good that the flower fit in it.

She looked at it for just a moment, but that was enough to change her mind about her plans. The plant inspired her so much that she put aside her reading and reached for her notebook.

Haruka's love for this species did not come out of nowhere. In her family's home, there was a large rose garden that her mother cherished. When she was little, women would often take her there. They spent time there alone, as the third member of the household was allergic to pollen and avoided the place like the plague. The garden was one of the few things that brought her positive memories of Sapporo. The beautiful scent of flowers lingering in the air and the lovely colorful arrangements among which she could stroll and listen to the pretty singing of her mother or hear her stories from her studies in the United States were vividly preserved in her memory.

„The melody in the rose garden is tormenting me, how much longer will I have to shed my tears because of it…One of the bunch is especially dear to me, as delicate as its petals, he may wipe my tears... Unfortunately I am one of the thorns and I fear that by coming closer to me, he may only get pricked…”

F 20:56 "Sorry for the delay in my response, but my dad wouldn't give me a moment to myself... I’m glad the phone works and messages are getting through to you 😊”

When she heard the sound of an incoming message, she immediately stopped writing.

Typically, Fujisaki-san would explain himself for no reason. Theoretically, he wasn’t obligated to answer her at all.

Y 20:57 “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

Y 20:57 "And I'll pretend I didn't read the apology."

Haruka returned to her desk, but this time she took the device with her and put it aside. That was a good decision because shortly after, another text came in.

F 20:59 "I wanted to text you sooner, because I forgot to mention that I downloaded some songs on your phone, in case the WiFi stopped working. For some reason, the signal cuts out every now and then.”

The girl didn't really check the contents of the phone after she got it. For some reason, the object was important to her for only one purpose at the moment...

Actually, when she opened the music player app, there was a pretty big playlist that consisted mainly of top pop songs from the past few years, especially foreign ones. The boy definitely tried his best and it was clear that he listened to her when she sometimes mentioned a specific song that she liked.

He knew her so well, and yet he didn't know her at all...

F 21:00 "I don't know if you'll like all of them, but I hope I hit your taste at least a little bit..."

Reading the message, she let out a loud snort of laughter. "Modest as always," she thought, grinning at her phone screen. He had gave her only the rose, the phone, the headphones, and a perfect playlist of songs, and he 'hopes that he hit her taste at least a little bit'.

Y 21:01 "You didn't hit my taste just a little bit..."

Y 21:02 "Only very much. Thank you 😊"

To think she even thought a lot about whether to send a smiling face...

Upon mentioning this, she decided to check the headphones she had received. She put it on, connected it, and played the first song she noticed in the phone's memory. "Big Girls Don't Cry," by Fergie, began to play in her ears. Ironically, at that moment, Haruka felt like she was about to burst into tears, but not exactly from sadness. Not only did she tear up because of the whole day, but she also returned to the memories of when she had music and headphones at her fingertips.

Tears began to flow down her cheeks, and she couldn't keep up with wiping them. She knew she should pull herself together, but this time she decided to let it go. She lay down on the bed and started the playlist from the beginning, allowing herself to cry. She fell asleep a little later, with headphones in her ears, completely exhausted.

F 23:48 “Good night.”

F 23:51 “If you need me, remember you can always text me.”

---

"Haruka, sit up straight," scolded her mother, who suddenly appeared in the living room. She was wearing a short red dress and high black heels that added a few centimeters to her height, making her not so short anymore. As always, she had full makeup on, and her short black hair was perfectly styled.

Haruka, sitting at a large wooden table in the middle of the room, was reading a chapter from a history book that she needed to study for her next class. Not taking her eyes off the book for a moment, she adjusted her posture. She knew there was no point in arguing with her mother. She hated when she slouched and always got angry with her about it.

"Your father and I are going out for dinner. Behave yourself while we're away," she said again to her daughter, who just nodded in confirmation.

"Haru! Respond when your mother addresses you," a low, deep voice echoed through the living room. The girl didn't even notice when her father also entered the room. The tall man was in a perfectly tailored black suit, and his brown curls were cut short. Typically, his expression was stern, and the one-day stubble complemented it very well.

"I'm sorry, Father. Mom, I promise I'll be good, " she raised her head and briefly looked at him, then turned her gaze toward the woman. " Have fun," she added, sending them a gentle smile, then returned to reading.

Late at night, she listened to her favorite playlist on her headphones even though she should have been asleep a long time ago. However, Haruka realized that there was a low probability that either of her parents would visit her at that time, since she saw them relatively rarely even during the day. She has fallen asleep many times with headphones in her ears and somehow never got caught.

Time passed, and she relaxed to the sounds of her favorite songs. It lasted until her headphones suddenly stopped working and the door to her room opened wide. She saw her father at the door, in a half-buttoned shirt, with unruly hair and a vacant stare.

"Lie down," he said faintly.

"What?", she asked, not quite understanding what he meant, and put the phone on the bedside table.

"Lie down on the edge of the bed!," the order was loud and clear this time. "After this much time, you should know exactly what to do!," he closed the door and took a few steps in her direction.

As he approached, she was hit by the strong smell of whiskey. She was completely paralyzed and didn't move, which made him even more angry. "I want my Mai back! Give it back to me!," his screams were now mixed with drunken sobbing.

The man grabbed her legs, pulled her on the edge of the bed, and turned her over so she was lying on her stomach. In response, Haruka began to shake and sob.

"Shh...," he leaned in close to her ear. "Today you will be my Mai..."

---

"No!" she screamed and sat up. Her ears were still plugged with headphones, and the music was still playing. She practically ripped them out of her ears in one swift motion and jumped out of bed like a scalded cat. She leaned against the wall and fell to the floor.

Once she was curled up, she began to look around the room to make sure her brain knew where she was, trying hard to stabilize her breathing. "You're not there anymore," she repeated to herself a few times, clenching her right hand tightly enough to cause a slight pain that would distract her a bit.

After less than 20 minutes, she managed to recover enough to get up from the floor and rinse the newly created wound on her hand. On her way to the bathroom, she stopped in front of Fujisaki-san's empty bed and looked at the inside of her hand. The skin damage was not deep, but the fact that it happened at all reminded her of how much of a failure she was, because in the recent past, when she experienced attacks, her roommate had taken care of this issue very carefully and always put some piece of material under her hand to prevent her from touching her bare skin. Unsurprisingly, she never knew how to take care of herself…

After returning from the bathroom, she picked up the headphones, which had landed on the floor when she took them off after waking up, and then took the cell phone, which was at the end of her bed. A message from the programmer appeared on the screen, which he had sent while she was sleeping.

"I hope he didn't worry when I didn't answer...," she thought, and then without thinking, she started typing a response. Before sending, however, she thought it through and decided to wait until a more decent hour to do so. It was after 4 a.m. and the boy was probably asleep. She didn't want to wake him up.

Y 09:07 "I managed to fall asleep, so you can be proud. I hope you slept well."

She didn't want to mention her nightmare to avoid needlessly disturbing him. The fact that she had closed her eyes for a few hours could objectively be considered a success anyway.

She didn’t have to wait long for a response, as the message from Fujisaki-san arrived almost immediately.

F 09:08 "I'm glad 😊 I slept well, thank you."

When he is happy, she is too.

This also reminded her that she should force herself to eat something. She had no appetite at all, but she knew how much the boy wanted her to eat. Besides, stretching her limbs by walking to the kitchen will also be helpful. As soon as she woke up, she just lounged around in the room.

---

The dorm was empty. She didn't see a single person on the corridor or in the common area. She wondered if anyone from their floor was even still at school. For breakfast, she made scrambled eggs, and then immediately reached for a chocolate bar, hoping it would give her some energy and a desire to live...

When she returned, she found another message, after which she concluded that she must start taking her phone with her when she leaves the room. Just in case... It could always be something urgent.

F 09:24 "I miss a little the cool dorm room, you can almost melt in my house. Is it that hot in Tokyo right now too?”

Her heart skipped a beat involuntarily at the word 'miss'.

Y 10:09 "I wouldn't complain if it were warmer in our room. I don't know how it is in Shizoka, but here it's about 30 degrees, so it's pretty hot. I’ll try to enjoy the (hopefully empty) terrace today.”

Y 10:10 "I hope you don't melt 😊"

Her roommate wasn't a fan of heat, and anything above 25 degrees was a bit too much for him, while for her, anything below that temperature was not enough. In this aspect, their room actually worked in his favor, as it wasn't excessively hot by nature. Additionally, they had air conditioning.

F 10:11 "I'll try it for you 😊"

She read the message a few times to make sure her brain wasn't playing tricks on her. With each passing moment, she felt hotter and hotter. "At this rate, I'll just melt," she thought, touching her flushed cheeks with her cool hands. She wondered if he even realized what he was doing to her by sending her such texts.

Y 10:15 "I have your word."

---

Days passed, and she stuck to a similar routine every day - she prepared breakfast and sometimes cooked some lunch for later, honing her culinary skills, and then spent time reading in her room or on the terrace, which was actually deserted. Later, if she had the inspiration, she would compose in the room or in the music room, eat some leftovers from the fridge, a previously prepared meal, or cook something on the spot, then practice gymnastics, and spend her evenings listening to music, sometimes taking a walk in the empty corridors or staying on the top floor of the dormitory. There were days when she managed to take a nap, but there were also days when she spent the whole night with her nose in a book or headphones in her ears. Nightmares also haunted her sometimes.

Of course, all these activities were constantly accompanied by one thing, Fujisaki-san... Her days practically revolved around exchanging a few, even insignificant, messages with him every day.

---

It was a very warm evening, she was sitting on the wooden floor of the terrace with headphones in her ears and watching the sun set on the horizon. This beautiful view combined with soothing music. 

Everything would have been perfect if it weren't for the fact that she spent the whole day on the phone, constantly checking if her 'roommate' had texted her. He didn't give her any signs of life all day, which drove her a bit crazy.

"He has the right to be busy. He doesn't have to text you all the time," she explained to herself in her head, and then after a few more minutes she checked her phone again, hoping that she might not have noticed a message. 

"Stupid teenage hormones!" she yelled, and then, resigned, she changed her position to lying down.

Her eyes now saw a red-pink sky. The view was stunning, but she couldn't seem to enjoy it. She glanced at her cell phone again, but there were no unread text messages. "I'm so pathetic," she thought.

Lately, she had been attributing all her emotions to growing up and being alone. She kept convincing herself that it was temporary and would pass after some time. However, she never realized how exhausting a crush could be.

She closed her eyes and replayed Fujisaki-san's smile in her mind, and with that thought, she fell asleep.

---

She was awakened by the sound of the phone. Apparently, her body remained alert the whole time.

F 22:19 "Sorry, my dad took me on the camping trip and I had no signal. I hope you weren’t worried…”

All the fuss was because of the…camping... Ah, how she hated camping. She had been to one in elementary school, but the only thing she remembered was the cold, the worms, and the bugs.

Y 22:21 "(Don't apologize...) It’s all right, you don’t have to text me every day Fujisaki-san. You had a good time?”

F 22:22 "I like texting with you... I hope I'm not imposing."

"You can impose as much as you want," she sighed.

F 22:22 "It was terrible. I hate camping..."

"As always, unanimous," she chuckled.

Y 22:22 “You're not imposing ”

Y 22:23 "You can text me as much as you want."

God, her desperation was so great that if she had been completely honest with him, she would have added 'please'...

Y 22:24 "I also hate camping, so I'll join in on the pain."

F 22:25 "I appreciate that. How was your day?"

"Terrible," she honestly replied in her head. Those two weeks alone were more of a challenge than she had expected, and today's complete isolation only confirmed that. Although she couldn’t text him that.

Y 22:26 "Nothing out of the ordinary happened, but maybe that's a good thing."

The evasive answer was better than a lie, but it still didn't seem enough, so she decided to also take a picture of the sky and send it to him.

Y 22:27 “It’s a shame you can’t see this live…”

F 22:28 “It looks beautiful 😊”

She knew he would like it. Fujisaki-san had a great sense of sensitivity and appreciated even small things like the sky, birdsong, and the sound of the wind.

F 22:30 "When I get back, you can show me 😊"

F 22:30 "If you want to, of course..."

At the thought of being here with him now, she got goosebumps…

Y 22:31 “I will 😊”

Chapter 24: Chapter 23

When her rose began to wither, Haruka decided to dry it. Although she wasn’t sure if hanging it upside down in the room would be enough, she decided to take the risk. After 3 weeks, the decision proved to be a success. The rose could return to her desk, this time to the empty glass, and serve as a pretty ornament that would certainly stand out against her almost empty desk.

Y 12:46 "Mission accomplished 😊"

Of course, she attached the photo as proof for the record. She had already hinted to Fujisaki-san what her plans were for the gift she had received from him, but the topic never came up again in their messages.

F 12:48 "It looks great 😊"

Y 12:49 “I just need to think about a vase.”

Y 12:49 "Until I get it, a glass must be enough."

Y 12:50 “Actually it doesn’t look so bad."

F 12:51 "You can't even tell from the photo that it's not a vase."

F 12:52 "If I come across any in the store, I'll let you know."

Y 12:52 "No."

Y 12:53 “You won’t buy anything.”

Y 12:53 “I can handle this.”

F 12:54 "It's just a vase..."

Y 12:54  "At this stage, it doesn't matter what you buy for me it will be not JUST, but MUCH"

Y 12:54 "You don't have anything to spend money on?"

F 12:55 "Maybe I don't have 😊"

Haruka was so absorbed in texting that she completely ignored what was happening in front of her, and the headphones in her ears with music playing at maximum volume further isolated her from the outside world. She was just going to the kitchen to make herself something to eat and she had managed to bump or knock into something a few times already during her journey. Her clumsiness was already at another level at this point.

The more they talked, the more direct and stubborn her roommate became, and she liked him more and more because of it. She liked the fact that he felt so comfortable in her company and shared his honest opinions and feelings with her.

It didn't change the fact that his buying and giving her anything was a frequent topic of discussion. Sometimes she felt like if she asked him for a diamond, she would actually get it from him. "The less I mention that I need something, the better," she thought.

F 12:56 "Besides If I take it upon myself, we will be sure that it will actually be in our room soon..."

Before, she would never have suspected him of writing something cutting in her direction, but now, he could clearly suggest that she always takes a long time to get ready for everything and that she is always late. He was, of course, absolutely right, and she didn’t mind the comment at all. She was actually grateful that he didn't idealize her in his head and could joke about her flaws.

Y 12:57 "If you come back and the vase isn't in the room yet, you can buy it."

Y 12:57 “Deal?”

F 12:58 "Deal 😊"

At this point, she has stood her ground, but to reach to the end, she must keep an eye on herself in this aspect and actually take care of the vase. However, for now, she could breathe a sigh of relief that the programmer wouldn't be doing anything on his own. There is no doubt about his honesty and that he will keep his word.

She put the phone aside and started preparing the pancake batter. When it came to frying, her music suddenly stopped, and a sound that resembled a signal filled her ears. Before she could react, the sound stopped, but the silence didn’t last long.

"Hello?," her roommate's familiar voice reached her ears now. She wouldn't mistake him for anyone else, even on the phone, but the situation was so unexpected that for a moment she wondered if she was hallucinating.

"Fujisaki-san?," she asked as a formality and quickly reached for her phone to verify that the conversation wasn't just in her head. Lack of sleep has a way of messing with her head.

"Yes?," the boy replied uncertainly, probably just as surprised as she was by the connection, which was actually visible on her phone screen.

"Did I call you?," she decided to ask to clarify the matter. Since she heard the signal first, it was probably a call from her phone.

"Yes...," he confirmed her suspicion. It's very possible that she left the device turned on with the screen facing the counter and by accident the cell phone picked up his number.

"I put the phone down in the kitchen, and it must have accidentally called you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you…," she explained, feeling a bit foolish about the incident.

"You're not disturbing me!", he said firmly. "And I-I didn't do anything important anyway..."

When she had the chance to hear his voice now for a little longer, she realized how much she missed him. Although she had to admit that it sounded a bit lower than three weeks ago, it was possible that this was simply because the phone was distorting the sound a bit.

"At least now we know that the phone also works in the area of establishing connections," he laughed, and she immediately felt warmth in her heart. "But since you're in the kitchen, you're probably busy…"

"No," she replied without thinking, which she immediately regretted. "I mean, I'm... frying pancakes, but I can talk. Theoretically, this is a more convenient solution for me than texting," she declared. Since they were already on the line, she decided to prolong the conversation a bit.

Suddenly, a strong smell of burnt food hit her, which made her realize that she had forgotten to flip the pancake on the pan to the other side. "Fuck." She quickly decided to fix her mistake, but it was too late. The pancake was already completely black…

"Everything alright?," Fujisaki-san was clearly worried after hearing the sudden curse.

"Yes, yes… I just forgot about the pancake on the pan," she explained this time without much concern. There was no need to worry, it was just one pancake.

"I hope you're okay…, " the boy's tone remained anxious.

"I'm fine... it's worse with the pancake though," she laughed, throwing the burnt pancake into the trash. "But don't worry, Hopes Peak hasn't burned down yet," she continued jokingly, frying the last batch of pancake batter.

"I didn't want to distract you..."

"It doesn't take much for you to distract me...," she thought. "Hey, it's just flour with milk and egg," she said softly, trying to calm him down. "I promise that no more pancakes will be harmed," she decided to try to cheer him up with another joke.

"I wonder what you'll say to it when you want to eat it...," he replied, trying to be serious, but he didn't last long and she quickly heard a chuckle in the earpiece. She laughed in response as well.

"You said you weren't doing anything important, so what's not important did I interrupt you with my phone call?"

"I was about to go back to programming, so you actually saved my computer and gave it some more rest."

"I'm distracting you from work, huh?," she asked teasingly, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

"Y-you are one of the few who ultimately succeed it…", he commented quietly, and she already imagined his red face that he probably had at that moment...

"That's good," she said, taking the plate of finished pancakes in her hand. "Just as I don't worry that the computer might overwork itself, I wouldn't be so sure about you...," she said, putting the phone in her pocket and heading to the room.

"Look who's talking...," he deflected, and she laughed. "Did you rest at all today?"

"I’m resting now."

---

She managed to eat a meal, clean the kitchen, and return to her room where she lay down comfortably on the bed. During this time , they continued their conversation. The screen on her phone showed that the call had been going on for three hours, and neither of them was in any hurry to end it...

"I also want to be stronger," he said suddenly, referring to Spider-Man, who was the subject of their discussion, which was currently revolving around superhero comics.

"Do you want me to ask Tanaka-san if he has a spider to spare?," she asked jokingly, and the boy laughed, but his voice had a hint of sadness. "Do you want to be stronger because you want to be, or because others expect you to be?" she asked, setting aside the joke and deciding to take the matter seriously, because she could see how much it was bothering him.

"Both...," he replied, sounding resigned. It was clear that he was ashamed of how much he cared about what others thought. But to her, he was already showing some strength because he was honest with her and, most importantly, with himself about his expectations. She could only envy him.

"So why not?" she replied gently. "Since it’s something you need too, I don’t think it’s a bad thing, and it’s definitely achievable.

"Really, you think so?" his voice suddenly became much more animated.

"Physically, I think it will be a bit easier, but over time, I think if you really care, you can also strengthen your psyche... ," she concluded her statement.

She felt great regret for the people who had told him all the nonsense about this toxic masculinity over the years, wanted to numb him, which she wouldn't even wish on her worst enemy after her own experience...

After a moment of silence, she sighed slightly and decided to continue. "But I like that you're sensitive and emotional, so I'd rather you focus on building your muscles first...," she decided to sneak the truth in a playful way. However, there was no chuckle or response from the other side. The call continued, or at least that's what her phone indicated, but only deaf silence accompanied it. "Fujisaki-san are you still there...?"

"Nobody ever...," the programmer's voice suddenly trailed off. It was slightly shaky and accompanied by a quiet nose-picking. Was the boy crying? "...told me something so nice...," the tone of his further speech indicated emotion not sadness, so there was no need to worry though. "Thank you, Yoshida-san... I'll do my best."

"Believe me, you'll hear many nice things about yourself in your life... ," she tried to tone down his agitation. She was fully aware of how quickly her roommate would get emotional and how her deep thoughts could affect him. "Speaking of exercises, I could use some myself...," she hinted, steering the conversation in a less emotional direction, but still keeping it on topic.

"I think you don't need anything more..," he blurted out, and she almost dropped her phone in shock and turned all red. " I-I mean... you k-know… gymnastics and dancing… aren't they enough exercise a-already… r-right...? I-I wouldn't want you... to exhaust yourself... ," he added after a moment, or more he mumbled, ending the explanation with nervous laughter.

"I mean...," she began, taking a deep breath to control her emotions, which would have made it difficult for her to express herself properly. "My physical condition and coordination are still quite poor, and that's what blocks me in dancing and gymnastics. I can't even do a proper pull-up or a push-up, and after a short warm-up, I'm barely alive. And as you know, our physical education classes leave a lot to be desired... Maybe if I practiced a bit more generally, I would achieve better results, " she explained, trying to forget his earlier 'mispronunciation'.

She had been thinking about going to the school gym for some time, but every time she had something else to do, something came out, or she just didn't have enough motivation.

"So...," he began hesitantly, but she already knew exactly what the boy would suggest next. "M-maybe we could start working out together...?," he finished exactly as she expected, and even as she had hoped... After all she was the one who steered the conversation in such a way as to achieve that result.

It was astonishing that she had been able to ignore him for weeks not so long ago, and now she was trying to subordinate every area of her life to him… “I’m so pathetic…,” she thought.

When her response didn't come right away, Fujisaki-san switched to panic mode and started to explaine himself.

"I-I mean, if you're up for it... I t-thought that since our skills are on a similar level... although now that I think about it, yours are definitely better than mine... but s-still... if you don't mind... of course you don't have to... I don't want to be a bother..."

"With great pleasure," she declared, interrupting his long-winded explanation, which she feared might otherwise go on forever.

"Really?!," his happiness could have been felt probably another 200 km away.

"Yes," she laughed at his sudden excitement. "Less panic, more breathing for the future... But I appreciate that at least an apology was not uttered," she added, even more amused.

"I try my best not to abuse it...," the programmer suddenly interrupted his statement, and the sound of opening doors could be heard in the background.

"Chihiro, I've been calling you for 15 minutes... Dinner is on the table," she heard his father's voice on the phone. Although it was much lower, she thought that it was relatively similar to her roommate's.

"I'll be right down…," the annoyed programmer said. Although he moved away from the phone, she could still hear their conversation quite well.

"Are you on the phone?, the man asked, which did not comfort his son, as he let out a loud sigh.

"Yes, so if you wouldn't mind please..."

"Okay, okay, I’m going now…, but I see you right downstairs."

"You didn't close... the door... ," her roommate replied after a moment of resignation, and then you could hear him lock his room. "Yoshida-san?," this time, the boy addressed her.

"Yes?"

"Sorry, my dad came into my room and…"

"So that's how you're trying not to abuse apologizing, huh?" she pointed out, jokingly referencing to their interrupted conversation.

"T-this is a completely different situation…," he replied, feigning indignation.

"Don’t apologize and go eat something. I've taken up...," she interrupted to glance at the time they were talking. When she saw that almost 5 hours had passed, she was shocked. Recently, it was only 3 hours…"enough of your time already..."

"I had a realy great time talking to you..."

"I did too, but surprisingly enough I managed to eat more than you in that time," she emphasized, referring to the fact that he usually scolds her for skipping meals. "Go before you make your dad angry…"

"C-can we do that again?," he quickly said, probably afraid that she would hang up.

"If you want to," she replied as neutrally as she could, trying to drown out the pounding of her heart in her chest. "If you call, I'll definitely answer."

"I can't wait," he replied excitedly. "If something happens... "

"I'll let you know," she finished for him. "Stop worrying..."

"I'll probably text you tonight anyway," he continued, trying not to end the conversation and what's worse, it was also difficult for her to do that too.  

"I'll wait...," she blurted out without thinking, already consumed by thoughts of their evening texting, and then she did something she usually tries to avoid..., she panicked. "Enjoy your meal!," she said nervously and hung up.

She shoved her phone to the side and then sank back onto the bed, letting out a loud sigh of resignation. “What the hell am I doing…”

---

"She'll wait," he repeated his roommate's words full of the joys of spring, while hugging his phone.

"Chihiro, how much longer do I have to wait for you...," the door to his room opened for the second time that evening, and he saw his father again, who entered without knocking. "Is everything okay?", he added after seeing his son glued to the device and smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm going...," he concluded nervously, trying to avoid the interrogation. He stood up from his chair and put the phone in his pocket, which did not go unnoticed by the other man.

"Since when have you been carrying your phone around the house?" he asked suspiciously, chuckling to himself.

"Since I am in high school…," the programmer rolled his eyes and passed his father in the door.

He went down the stairs to the living room and immediately his eyes landed on a large pizza box. "Dinner huh?," he thought, ironically thinking about the situation. Cooking at their house was a bit of a struggle. His father worked a lot, and when he did have time and tried to prepare something in the kitchen, the results were usually poor... Chihiro appreciated that the man was trying, but he had taken on the responsibility of feeding them for some time now.

Of course, this didn’t fully solve the problem, because he also spent most of his time at the computer, and his cooking skills were rather average. Although neither of them was too picky, so even if something was a bit burnt or over-salted, it still ended up in their stomachs. On the other hand, if something was inedible or they were struggling with a complete lack of time, they just ordered something . At Hopes Peak, the situation was much better. The food at the cafeteria was fine, and what was probably the key advantage of his high school life was that he had a wonderful roommate who cooked and prepared food for him.

"It's probably cold by now," said the father, who also joined him in the living room.

"I don't mind," Chihiro reached for a slice of the in fact already cold pizza.

"Maybe you don't," he looked at him emphatically, then sat down on the couch.

"You could have eaten without me," he pointed out, taking a seat next to him and then taking the first bite of the slightly gummy dough. "It could have been worse," he thought, and immediately decided to take another bite. He only realized now that he was actually pretty hungry.

"But I wanted to eat with you," he said, reaching for a slice of pizza. "When you go back to school, I won't have a choice and I'll eat alone..."

The father's words made it clear that the man really wanted to spend as much time as possible with him. He must have felt very lonely during the last period, staying all alone at home. In the end, they were always just the two of them…

"I know, sorry…," the programmer decided to show remorse.

He felt really stupid for downplaying the situation and acting selfishly. The father, seeing that his son was overcome, decided to embrace him.

"It's all right, nothing happened," he replied gently and smiled softly. "Besides, I don't want you to misunderstand me. I'm glad you have someone who can take you away from the computer," he added, still not releasing Chihiro from his grip. "A friend?"

"We are not friends...," he corrected, breaking free from the man's embrace.

"So, more than a friend?," he asked, causing his son's cheeks to flush.

"N-no, no…!," he immediately objected. The mere suggestion that there might be more between him and Yoshida-san made him feel terribly embarrassed.

"Oh right…," the man decided to ease up a bit, seeing his stress.

"Just... I have someone I can talk to...," he explained, staring at the floor. "We get along, that's all," he continued, still slightly agitated. "But we're not friends, or anything more than that..." "Even though I would really like to...," he added to himself in his head.

"I'm glad to hear that," a broad smile appeared on his face.. "The most important thing is that you are satisfied… But I want you to know that if you ever need anything, you can always come to me to talk."

"I know dad," Chihiro replied with a gentle smile and reached for another slice of pizza, feeling a great relief that the 'interrogation' was over.

"Is this person a boy?" However, it turned out to be just his wish, because his father decided to continue the topic, simply hitting from a different side. From the side that drove Chihiro crazy. "You know very well that I won't judge you..."

"It's a girl!," he blurted out, irritated.

It was another suggestion made by his father over the course of the year regarding his orientation. The fact that he dressed up as a girl didn't necessarily mean he was gay. It's not that there would be anything wrong with that, because there wouldn't be. However, it was extremely frustrating that the man didn't believe him when he clearly said he wasn't...

He felt a bit like his father didn't believe that any girl would be interested in him...

"Yoshida-san, my roommate," he continued without giving any thought to the consequences. "I mentioned her to you..."

After a moment of reflection, he decided that he shouldn't blame his father for thinking that way, because he himself had similar feelings on the subject....

"Oh yes, Yoshida-san," the man adjusted his glasses "The one you wanted to give your old phone," he remembered.

Suddenly his pocket vibrated for a moment, which would mean he had received a text message. He quickly threw the food onto the plate and reached for a napkin to wipe his greasy pizza-stained hands, then pulled out the device.

Y 18:34 "It hit me only after our conversation...Texts and now this conversation should cost something, right?"

Actually, he didn't tell her that she had a full account for at least 3 months... "She won't be happy," he thought. The actress didn't like it when he relieved her of expenses. He knew well that the girl didn't have much, and he was more than willing to provide her with everything she needed.

His father earned very well and they never had to worry about money, and when he himself started doing jobs for other companies, they even had more than enough. However, he was able to understand that Yoshida-san might feel like she was taking advantage of him. Additionally, she liked to be self-sufficient and it was very hard for her to ask for help. The girl's stubbornness and pride were inseparable elements that he sometimes found hard to overcome.

F 18:35 "Don't worry, I gave you the phone and topped up the card enough that it should last for a while 😊"

Y 18:35 “I’ll pay you back for that.”

Y 18:35 "No discussion 😊"

"I could have expected that... but she sent a smiling face," he chuckled to himself, and his father noticed how quickly Chihiro's face lit up after receiving the message.

Chapter 25: Chapter 24

"I lost...again," she replied with a slight frustration that was caused by her third loss in the online mahjong game she was playing with Fujisaki-san using the computer in the school library.

For some weeks now, online gaming has become their new form of spending time together, initiated by the programmer completely by accident during one of their... regular phone calls. As it turned out, it was a bullseye. Fujisaki-san enjoyed all sorts of board, card, and computer games, which he sometimes played with his father or online with random users on the internet. Haruka, on the other hand, although she had a neutral attitude towards this kind of activity, mainly because she had neither the opportunity nor anyone to play such games with in the past, decided to give this proposal a chance. She certainly liked competition, which she must have faced in this case. After a few rounds, it was clear that she was completely lost, especially considering that it was another thing they could do from a distance...

"We can play again."

"So you can crush me again?," she laughed, stretching out. She spent quite a bit of time in the chair, so her body had time to stiffen up.

"Maybe…," he replied teasingly, which made her giggle even more. He liked to tease her and did it more and more often after he probably noticed how easy it was for him to do so.

"Sounds tempting...," she decided to continue the conversation in the same tone. "It's a shame I can't see his face right now," she thought, and then the image of her roommate's rosy cheeks appeared in her mind. "But unfortunately, I have the feeling that if I spend another hour in the library, the librarian will not only try to kill me with her eyes..."

Haruka decided to return to reality and not let her emotions get the better of her. However, the comment about the teacher was absolutely true. During the summer break, the girl felt that she was not the favorite visitor in this place. The woman did not like how the actress would sit alone in the reading room until it closed and clearly looked at the girl right now, suggesting that it was time to go back to her room. Her situation was also not helped by the fact that she was on a phone call the whole time she was there.

"You can enjoy your victory. You deserve it."

She had nothing to complain about him in the end. He always played fairly, didn't bend the rules to his advantage, and when he lost, which was rare, he handled it without any problem. However, it turned out that he also liked to compete, which meant that he didn't give her any advantages and always tried to the end. It was a challenge and made the game much more interesting, and winning even more satisfying.

---

They were able to talk on the phone late into the night, always finding something to discuss. Although they spent time together only at a distance, Haruka felt that they had gotten even closer during the summer. Time practically flew by for her, and before she knew it, only 2 weeks were left until the end of the summer break. Exactly 13 days from now, she will see her roommate again, and to be honest, she couldn't wait...

"I think the program should be ready to start the semester," Fujisaki-san announced, referring to his newly invented project. The boy decided to create a planner that would have a wide range of organizational tabs, a calendar, a notebook, and many other functions that would help in better time management, monitoring progress, and easier planning in general.

"Didn't you start doing this just two days ago?," the girl was surprised that the fresh idea she had heard about recently was already being implemented on such a large scale. "Now I wonder if you really sleep at night," she laughed, genuinely wondering, however, when the boy found time to work on the program. Although they weren't in contact all the time during the day, she still thought that his progress was astonishingly high. However, she hoped that it was more a result of his ability than the fact that he was overworking himself.

"The program is not that complicated to create. Testing is the most time-consuming part, but I'm not at that stage yet," he explained, and she felt satisfied with his response. "I try to go to bed regularly..."

"Regularly huh? Talking with me until...," she interrupted to glance at the hour. "1 a.m... You're really doing great," she replied ironically, also having a slight guilt trip with herself in this aspect.

"T-that's why I used the word try..."

"So maybe now you will show me how hard you are trying and you will go to bed nicely," she said firmly.

"It's summer vacation... And I'm definitely sleeping more than you..."

"I'm sleeping... sometimes," she replied to the accusations. Her vacation schedule in this regard was very diverse and consisted of: not sleeping for a few days, napping during the day, or uncontrolled nighttime sleep, which sometimes ended in success and sometimes in a nightmare. 

"Comparing yourself to me in this case is stupid, and you know that," she expressed her irritation. She hated it when he justified his decisions that way. "I don't want you to compete with me on this issue. If I could, I'd sleep... "

"I'm sorry... ," hearing his sad tone, she immediately regretted letting her anger get the better of her. She didn't want to make him cry, and his shaky voice indicated that this was exactly what might happen. "I was very unfair..."

"But you're right, it's vacation time, so I shouldn't be nagging you ether...," she softened, realizing that she shouldn't be telling him what to do even if she was invoking her concern.

"I shouldn't be picking on you at all... I know you're giving it your best," he no longer sounded like he was on the verge of tears, but it was still possible to sense that the boy was going through a lot. "I would do anything to make you sleep peacefully... ," he declared softly in a gentle voice, and she felt as if she was about to break down emotionally.

She wanted him to be right there with her. To see him, to touch him...

"Fujisaki-san… I really m-miss…"

"Chihiro, did you see what time it is?," she suddenly heard the voice of the programmer's father, who didn't sound pleased.

"I'm sorry, I'll try to be quieter…, " he said remorsefully, moving away from the phone. "D-dad w-what are you doing...?" After a moment of silence, the boy spoke again, but he sounded much more stressed, and then a short, creaking sound came from his phone.

"Yoshida-san, I'm really sorry, but my son should have gone to bed a long time ago. He will definitely call you tomorrow," the man said directly to her, probably taking the phone away from the programmer, which greatly surprised her. 

"Of course, I understand. I apologize for troubling Fujisaki-san," she replied politely, not quite sure how to behave, especially since she had been so reckless just moments before that she almost confessed to his son that she really missed him...

"I don't hold it against you. I really appreciate that you managed to get Chihiro away from the computer," the man was very kind and seemed to be positively inclined towards her. "I wish you a good night."

"Good night," after her response, the conversation ended.

The programmer's father seemed exactly as his roommate had described him over the phone: not confrontational, friendly, and well-mannered. The boy usually spoke very positively about his father and it was clear that he had a very close relationship with him. It was known that he complained about the man, but it was rather normal that teenagers sometimes tease their parents. In the end, however, she could only envy such a bond...

"It could have been worse," she thought about the conversation they had just had, still slightly amused by the whole situation. But Fujisaki-san probably had a different opinion, and she was convinced that he was embarrassed about what had happened.

"Chihiro…," boy's first name flashed through her mind, causing her face to turn bright red. However, she did not have the courage to say it out loud…

---

"I-I'm so sorry for yesterday's situation...!," it was the first thing the programmer said after she took the call from him in the morning.

"Good morning to you too, Fujisaki-san," she laughed, rolling over from her back onto her right side in bed. She had predicted that the boy would be upset about yesterday's events, but she did not expect him to be so worked up about it that he would return to it first thing in the morning.

"G-good morning," he corrected himself. "I hope you didn't feel uncomfortable…," then he continued in a panicked tone.

"Nothing happened," she replied softly, trying to calm him down, but her voice still showed a slight amusement that her roommate was so concerned about her conversation with his father. "At least it worked out in my favor," she added triumphantly. "I hope, however, that you didn’t have any major problems…"

"No, no. Dad thought taking my phone was enough punishment… "

"So there were no casualties," she said jokingly."This is definitely a lesson for the future. No more late-night talks."

"Yes... ," he agreed, but he didn't sound satisfied. "Maybe that's safer..."

"Besides, there are only about two weeks left anyway...," she said after a moment of silence.

"R-right...," the statement was accompanied by nervous laughter. "Speaking of which... w-would you have any objections to...m-me coming back a bit e-earlier?" he added nervously after a moment.

"No, I wouldn't have," the answer, although it came out too quickly, sounded like it was thrown off carelessly, but thank god the boy couldn't see her face now, because she was grinning like an idiot at the phone screen. "Did something happened?," she decided to ask, because the decision was quite sudden and had never come up in their conversations before. She hoped he hadn’t fought with his dad over something so stupid…

"H-huh…?," he said, surprised.

"I asked if something had happened that made you decide to come back earlier," she repeated the question, but after the reaction she already had a theory...

"N-nothing happened…," he replied briefly, not rushing to elaborate further.

"That's good, I was worried you had a fight with your dad," she went along with him by shortening the topic, and she could only guess the reason for his return...

"If you're coming back for me, at least you could have come up with some excuse...," she scolded the boy in her head, and a slight blush appeared on her face.

Although her guesses could only harm her, she was not blind. She probably bewitched him too, somehow…

"Crushes come and go, there's no reason to panic yet," she calmed her thoughts. When he meets someone else, he will definitely get bored with her.

He must get bored with her...

---

Fujisaki-san, in accordance with his decision, chose to return to Hopes Peak a week before the semester began, which meant she would have him all to herself for 7 days... Even thinking about such a possibility made her stomach twist.

F 15:23 “I’ll be with in an hour.”

When she read the text message, she felt a growing tension within her. On the one hand, it was caused by excitement, on the other , by a series of fears about what might happen when they finally meet... Stress was always with her, but this kind of stress wore her down a bit differently. She didn't expect that one person would turn her life upside down in such a short time. Maybe it was already a rule in relation to her miserable existence…

She walked over to the bathroom mirror to check her reflection for the 10th time in an hour. "He knows exactly what you look like, for fuck sake!," she yelled at her reflection, frustrated. She had never before worried about her appearance. The less she looked in the mirror in the last period of her life, the better it was for her...

F 15:26 "My dad wants to meet you..."

F 15:26 "So far, I haven't been able to talk him out of it..."

She wondered how his father had interpreted their relationship, that he had suddenly become so interested in her…

Y 15:27 “I’m not super interesting.”

F 15:27 "I disagree 😊."

F 15:28 "But he doesn't have to know about it..."

The more negatively she presented herself, the more he complimented her. She should already know that writing in this way will only get her praise from him, which will make her heart beat faster. At this point, it's as if she's asking for it herself...

Y 15:29 "If he still insists, I don't mind."

Y 15:29 "We're roommates after all 😊."

A simple greeting and a brief conversation shouldn't hurt, and might even shorten some unnecessary assumptions...

---

She sat for an hour on pins and needles, trying to at least pretend to be busy with something, in this case writing in her notebook, where she was just making some silly doodles out of nerves, glancing every now and then at the entrance door, where the programmer would soon appear.

She made sure the room was tidy before his arrival, and when she found out that his father would probably come here too, she did an extra walk-through to double-check everything. When the bell rang, she jumped up and quickly ran towards the door. However, she stopped abruptly in front of it. She took a deep breath and pulled the door handle.

"You don't have to ring the bell, it's your room too," she replied just after opening the door, and before she could even get a good look at him. When her gaze settled on the boy, she knew she had made the right decision, because at that moment she felt as if she had lost her tongue.

Fujisaki-san timidly returned her gaze, and even in his feminine attire, dressed in a summery pink-and-white dress and with delicate makeup, he managed to remind her in just a few seconds how much she missed him. She longed for his gaze on her and those blushes on his cheeks.

"I-I didn't want to come in unannounced...," he explained quietly. Overwhelmed, he looked down at the floor.

When he spoke, she was struck by the change in his lower-pitched voice. After taking a closer look, she also noticed that he had grown at least 2 cm over the summer. "I was afraid of that," she thought, remembering her reflections when she first heard the change in her roommate's voice on the phone. She knew that puberty would eventually face him…

"You mean like I when we first met," she laughed, moving to the side to signal him to finally enter the room. The topic of his voice would have to be addressed and resolved somehow, but she didn't want to overwhelm him with it right at the beginning.

"You didn't know I was here...," he defended her, putting his laptop bag on the desk and then he noticed the small vase on her side of the room, which contained a dried rose. She had bought it at the flower shop on the top floor of the dorm a few days ago. It's a good thing she didn't have to look far for the object, because otherwise she definitely wouldn't have made it in time. "I see you got lucky this time," he commented, which made her laugh.

"As you can see, I needed a bit of motivation," she replied, also looking at the flower, pleased with herself. "Lost your suitcase?" she continued after a moment, maintaining a joking tone, it was her favorite defense mechanism after all. He didn't come back with just a laptop, for sure.

"No, no…," he chuckled in response, but his smile was overshadowed by nervousness, which came to the fore. "My dad will bring it right over… R-remember, he wanted to meet you?"

"Oh, so in the end," she replied, still not entirely convinced whether their acquaintance was a very good idea or an ultra bad one. "Don't stress though, okay?," she said, giving him a gentle look as she sat down on his desk. Now she was much closer to him. "I should be more stressed," she added with a laugh.

"You don't look stressed," this time she managed to bring out a more relaxed expression and a gentle smile on his face, which she had been eagerly waiting for after such a long time. "Just don't want him to say s-something stupid..."

"I've talked to adults before and I'll handle even the worst embarrassing comment," she reassured him, leaning toward him. "Do you trust me?," she asked softly, and they made their first longer eye contact since the holidays.

"I-I do…," the answer was barely audible, but his eyes said it all. His tender gaze pierced her from the inside, cutting off her contact with reality, which returned only after she heard the second bell of the day.

"Should I open...?." she asked, slightly dreamy, still not taking her eyes off him.

"Please…," his voice was again a whisper, one she was convinced she could listen to for the rest of her life. Now that his tone was even lower than before, it seemed to be even more electrifying for her. She reluctantly stepped away from him to open the door. But before she did that though, she wanted to make sure about one thing.

"How do I look?," she asked the programmer unexpectedly, to also distract him from the situation. The boy was immediately embarrassed by the question.

"G-good," he mumbled , his face as red as a beet.

"Then let's have some fun," she said ironically and pulled the door handle.

She saw a relatively tall man in glasses in the doorway. He was neatly dressed, but not overly formal. He was wearing a loose gray shirt. It was certain that he was Fujisaki-san's father, because her roommate was extremely similar to him. He was holding a suitcase in his hand, which he had dropped in surprise when he saw that it was her who had opened the door for him.

The man picked up the suitcase and went inside where he didn't even get a moment to get used to the situation.

"It's nice to meet you in person Fujisaki-san," she decided to start the conversation, bowing low. She tried to appear as confident as possible. After straightening up, her bookish smile appeared on her face. The man seemed a bit taken aback by her boldness, but he returned her smile.

"For me too, Yoshida-san," his tone was slightly wavering, but that probably wouldn't be noticeable to a layman. It turned out that the programmer's father was shy, maybe not as much as his son, but still. Haruka decided to ease up a bit, even out of respect for the man. She had already exacted her small revenge for the situation with the phone call that the programmer had been so upset about. 

The girl cast a gentle glance at her roommate, who, like her, seemed pleased with the turn of events, and then decided to sit on her bed and let the man take the lead in the conversation and the development of events. This will definitely be more comfortable for him.

"The room looks nice," the eyeglasses man put the suitcase aside and started to look around the room. At this point, she was even more pleased that she had cleaned it up. "When I was in college, I could only dream of a room like this," he laughed, and just as the actress had predicted, he relaxed much more, but it was hard to say the same about the programmer, who clearly counted down the time until his father finally left. 

"But I wasn't as talented as Chihiro to get into such a school," he smiled now at his son, who blushed slightly at the compliment. "I heard that you, Yoshida-san, are also very talented, Chihiro has been broadcasting nonstop lately...

"T-hank you Dad for bringing me m-my suitcase!," Fujisaki-san abruptly stood up from his chair, interrupting the man and heading towards the door. "W-we'll see each other on Christmas," he said with a nervous smile, hoping that this would be enough to get his father to leave the room. Haruka, although interested in the unfinished statement, decided to smile in solidarity and miss out.

"Okay, okay, I'm going now," he laughed. "However, before I go, I would like to thank you, Yoshida-san, for taking care of my son," he bowed. "It's really no easy feat to get him away from the computer," he added jokingly after getting up.

"D-dad, I think that's enough..."

"He also takes care of me, so I think it's a mutual cooperation," she interjected, and her mouth corners lifted significantly, this time forming a completely natural smile. She didn't want to be overly emotional, but if she were completely honest, she would add that he actually does much more for her than she does for him...

Her roommate was definitely surprised by her sudden declaration, but the surprise on his face quickly turned into agitation by her warm words directed at him. Of course, he had huge blushes on his cheeks. His father also seemed to be slightly touched by her words and sent her a broad smile.

"You should visit us during the holidays," he announced, which definitely threw both her and the programmer off track.

"D-dad, I-I don't know if..."

"What? You were on your phone all summer and I'm afraid it might end up the same way during Christmas...," he added with a slight reproach, but still had a friendly expression on his face. His words made her feel terribly embarrassed, but she tried not to show it.

"I'll think about it," she said, not entirely convinced that it was a lie. Especially considering how hopeful her roommate's reaction was to what she just said. "But thank you very much for the invitation any way."

---

After their previous conversation, Fujisaki-san exchanged a few more words with his father, who later said goodbye to her and gave his son a tender hug to show his support. It was clear that he would miss him.

"It went pretty well, don't you think?," she asked a moment after Fujisaki-san closed the door behind his father. "Your dad is very nice."

"Yes... But sometimes he can overdo it...," he agreed with her, throwing himself onto his bed, clearly mentally exhausted by the whole situation. "Y-you're great... you know that?," he added after a moment, hiding behind the pillow.

"I try," she replied, pleased with herself, trying her best not to blush at the compliment...

Chapter 26: Chapter 25

When the emotions had died down a bit, the boy immediately changed his clothes and, without surprise, began unpacking. Fujisaki-san did not like leaving things until the last minute and valued order.

After tidying up his computer station, connecting his laptop and other small electronic devices that Haruka couldn't even name, let alone know their exact use, he began unpacking his suitcase. Initially, he took out only clothes and some basic items, but around the middle of the bag's contents, he started taking out items that piqued her interest a bit more...

"Did you become addicted to sugar during the holidays?," she laughed after seeing the stack of candy bars, chocolates, and gummy bears he brought with him.

The programmer ate sweets, but only in small amounts, because he would always get too much sugar too quickly. At this point, she could only naively hope that he would share it with other classmates he was friends with...

"No... but I'm definitely missing a tasty home cooked meal, so we can exchange," he took a break from the suitcase to look at her and directed a wide smile towards her, then threw her favorite caramel candy bar from the pile of sweets.

"Hmm…," she pretended to think, looking at the snack in her hands. "Maybe…," she said mysteriously, but a slight involuntary smile already appeared on her face. It flattered her immensely that he missed her cooking. "But please tell me that it's not all just for me?"

"If you share it with me, it won't be...," he continued his narrative.

"You're impossible," she rolled her eyes, but the smile still wouldn't leave her face. She just couldn't get angry at him... "No more presents, alright?" she added, throwing him a feigned, sharp glance. The statement was meant to be serious, but a slight giggle escaped her lips at the end.

"Can we at least establish this rule after I unpack completely...?," he asked shyly, and a blush appeared on his face.

"Fujisaki-san...," she sighed softly, looking at him. He avoided her gaze, feeling even more embarrassed after her words. His appearance didn't allow her to look away from him. "Cute," she thought. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn..."

"I-I promise it’s only two things!," he suddenly looked up from the floor and looked at her, which she wasn't prepared for at all. "Please...," she was attacked by his tender gaze, which, combined with the sweet 'please' she could hear every day, made her completely soften.

"Fine…," she whispered, turning her gaze away from him and began to open the candy bar she had received to distract her attention and stabilize her head.

"Thank you!," the boy's face lit up, and he began to frantically flip through the rest of the contents of his bag.

"Even more adorable," she commented to herself, glancing at him repeatedly as she bit into the caramel treat.

She didn't understand why he liked to give her so many gifts, but she liked to watch him when he was happy, and fortunately, he hadn't given her anything that required a lot of money yet. She knew he had plenty of it, but she didn't want him to think he had to buy her, or to feel sorry for her because she didn't have that luxury, or more so, that he thought she didn’t have it…

"T-theoretically, it's for both of us, so maybe you'll be able to p-process the other little thing more easily...," he threw her an innocent glance, then placed a transparent, long tape with lights on the desk.

"LEDs…?," she noticed, but the statement sounded a bit like a question because it completely threw her off. She had not expected that this would be one of the 'gifts'.

"Yes. As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of unnecessary electronics lying around in my house. My dad bought them to stick to his desk, but he eventually changed his mind and it ended up in the basement," he explained, unrolling the tape and looking around the room. "It have a much greater range than the lamp, you can stick it to just about anywhere, and most importantly, you can adjust their intensity and color with a remote control," he smiled warmly, stopping just in front of her bed. "This will be the perfect solution for both of us, and it will also serve as a room decoration, don't you think?"

His concern and interest in her needs were already immeasurable at this stage, and that was only half of what was yet to come…

As soon as he arrived, she had the impression that each of their interactions became more and more emotional for her. Whenever she thought that the emotional rollercoaster couldn't get any bigger, he always proved her wrong by showing that there was no such limit with him. From the very first day until now...

"Y-yes…," she felt so moved that she was about to burst into tears. "Thank you, I-I don't even know what to say…," but as always she tried to tone down her emotions as much as possible.

"Y-you can... tell me where to stick it, for example," he was embarrassed, but he still managed to muster up a bit of confidence to make a joke, which she appreciated even more in the current situation, laughing at his suggestions, which definitely relaxed the atmosphere.

"Maybe a wardrobe as the central part of the room," she suggested, and he agreed without a word.

---

Soon after, he glued the lights in the indicated place. After seeing the final effect, she thought that it was actually a pretty cool frills that was also supposed to save her life.

For a test, they decided to set the light pink color of the LEDs, which seemed to them the least noticeable, which was crucial because the lights were supposed to be lit mainly at night. After finishing his work, he finished unpacking his bag.

Everything from the suitcase was already organized and there was only one small blue box left, which caused Haruka to have a heart attack out of fear of what was inside.

"It's just a trifle, I swear…," he handed her the object. "I-I just wanted to wrap something nicely...," he explained, blushing slightly.

The actress opened the lid very carefully in case there was something delicate in the box. Inside she found a small, black rubber note. At first, she had no idea what it was for, but after thinking about it for a while, she realized its purpose. She pulled it out of the box and tightly grasped it in her right hand.

"You think about everything, don't y-you...?," her voice cracked slightly at the end, but she tried to save the situation with a broad smile.

"Do you like it?"

"A lot. Thank you very much," she said, still smiling broadly. Probably her jaw will definitely have enough after today’s smiling… "My hand will also be very grateful," she laughed, again clutching the object. She knew that this was another thing she wouldn't be able to part with.

---

According to the arrangements, which were not even necessary because she had planned to do it anyway, she cooked dinner – udon noodles with chicken, which they decided to eat on the terrace, taking advantage of the nice weather and the fact that it was completely empty.

As they ate, they were, as always, absorbed in conversation, behaving as if they hadn't spoken to each other for at least the whole summer. Of course, the meal was accompanied by a series of compliments from her roommate about how delicious the food was.

"We should talk about your voice," she said, swallowing the last bite of chicken. She didn't want to put it off indefinitely, and just then there was a gap in the conversation that allowed her to start a new topic.

"I suspected you would hear the difference too...," he replied, dejected. "I was going to ask you if there was any way to... fix it?"

"I heard the differences already on the phone, but I wasn't completely sure. It could always be a problem with the connection, but today it turned out that my hearing isn't failing me," she said, feeling relieved that the boy was already aware of the problem. "However, I don't think there's anything to fix here. Mutation is a normal process in men."

"I thought that after all this time... it just wouldn't happen...," he confessed, embarrassed by his naivety. "Under other circumstances, I would be overjoyed..."

"Form me your voice didn't sound girlish even before, to be honest I thought it was already the effect of after," she said, regretting that she had never asked about it. Maybe then they would have had more time to react. "But I warned you before that it would only get worse with age. You can't cheat biology."

"Why didn't we meet before...", he sighed, casting a sad glance at her.

"I regret that too…," she thought.

"The voice is fine and we don't want to ruin it," she said, trying to keep the conversation on neutral ground. If they both immediately become emotional, they won't come to any solution.

"B-but..."

"But I'll show you a couple of my tricks," she calmed him down. "We won’t do anything drastic, but I promise that no one should notice a big difference. The tone of a woman's voice also changes.

"You're saving my life," he replied softly, much calmer.

"You mine too," she replied to him in her mind.

---

"It's really strange when it is so empty in here...," Fujisaki-san said after they cleaned up the table after eating.

"It could happen more often," she laughed. "It's nice here," she said, getting up from the table and walking to the railing, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

A few moments later, the boy joined her, and they looked ahead together, taking in the view. The orange sky was almost cloudless, and the sun in it was slowly setting. The evening was warm, but every now and then, she could feel a slight breeze of slightly cooler air, which created gooseflesh on her bare arms.

"I missed this…," he whispered, not taking his eyes off the landscape.

"Hopes Peak…?," she looked at him with interest.

"Y-yes... H-hopes Peak...", he confirmed, directing a tender smile her way, which she returned.

"I missed you so much too…," she thought, and her stomach filled with butterflies.

After that, nothing else was said, and they were accompanied only by a pleasant silence.

---

"Movie?," he asked hesitantly after they returned to the room and changed into their pajamas. He looked at her with a pleading gaze, probably fearing that she would try to get out of it.

"Movie," she smiled and sat on the edge of his bed, which caused her roommate's eyes to sparkle.

On the screen was Avatar, a gem from the past year that had come up in their conversations a few times and which the programmer was eager to see together.

During the screening, there were a few discussions and many comments. The movie was long, so by the middle of it, she had enough room in her stomach to eat almost the whole pack of gummies by herself because her roommate only took a few.

After watching, they talked a bit more about the technical side of the work and the acting, on which she always had to add her two cents, and they also discussed the ending. Time passed so quickly that they only realized it was late when it was already after 1 a.m. 

"You should get some sleep," she said, getting up from the bed, which they hadn't left since the movie started. "When you wake up, we can exchange," she added, sitting down at her desk and starting to look at her stack of books waiting to be read. When she was met with silence, she decided to turn back to her roommate

When she looked at him, she met a disappointed face and a sad gaze. As soon as their eyes met, the boy immediately looked away toward the still-on computer screen.

"If you want, you can lie down first, and then we can switch. I'm not that tired yet...," he replied, trying to be as neutral as possible, but she didn't think he thought he was going to deceive her, he just wanted to make it easier for her to continue her narrative.

At this point, any normal person would try to discuss with her how hypocritical she was and how absurd their relationship was at this point, which she even forbade to be defined as friendship. However, Fujisaki-san was different from everyone else. He didn't ask questions, tried not to stand out, and at the same time enjoyed and took everything she had to offer him. That's probably why she got along so well with him.

When they spent time together, she regained the sense of control that had been taken from her years ago. During the 5 months of their acquaintance, she was able to move the border as much as she wanted. She set the terms from the start, and he agreed to them.

Although she was guided by reason then. Pure calculation. Later, gradually, the heart took over more and more, and despite her wildest expectations, it stopped being made of stone.

Despite this, she was still perfectly aware that a long-term relationship of any romantic nature was out of the question. Fujisaki-san deserved someone much better…Someone who can provide him with the best of everything… She was definitely too limited for that...

However, she slowly began to open her mind to the concept of friendship. At this point, she couldn't completely push him away from her, and the further game of being just roommates was starting to be really exhausting. The boy had dreamed his whole life that someone would accept and support him. She could be that person for him.

Despite being intense, teenage infatuations were actually short-lived, unlike how they are portrayed in literature and cinema. His crush on her will eventually fade, he will meet someone else, fall madly in love, and she will be a good friend to him.

But...

She did not want to build such a relationship on a lie, which forced her to reveal her past to him…

She had no fear that the boy would betray her secret, she trusted him completely and was convinced that nothing like that would happen.

The problem was that the information he was supposed to receive would have seriously compromised his safety...

Additionally, she was worried about how the programmer would take something so... drastic...

She would have given anything to spare him this, but she couldn't imagine him finding out about it years later, completely by accident,  from someone else.

It is also unknown whether after he finds out that he didn't really know her, he will want to have anything to do with her...

However, if that were to happen, she would also consider it beneficial for him in the end.

"Fujisaki-san, maybe you can try to lie down," she tried to persuade him in order to implement her new plan. She decided to change her concept. "Maybe you'll be able to fall asleep."

"Maybe if I dig through my program for another hour, it'll tire me out more, " he smiled gently at her, then got out of bed and plugged in his laptop, placing it on his desk. "But if you're not tired ether, you don't have to…"

"Fujisaki-san...," she interrupted him in a very serious tone. "Can you lie down, please?," she asked, looking at him meaningfully, hoping he would figure out what was going on. However, his reaction indicated that he had no idea what she was talking about. He was completely flummoxed.

"B-but..."

"You said today that you trusted me, remember?," she interjected again, trying to hit his stubbornness from a different angle this time. She didn't break eye contact for a moment.

"I-I do b-but..."

"So trust me one more time, okay?" She didn't want to give him a chance to speak because she didn't want to give him any direct signals in this case...

"O-okey...," finally, he gave in, but she was still convinced that he didn't understand why all this fuss. He turned off the computer and lay down on his back on the bed a moment later. However, he wasn't looking at her, his eyes were fixed on the ceiling. "I-I don't know what that's supposed to change...," he began to shyly continue the discussion, but he stopped when he heard her suddenly get up from the chair. When his eyes landed on her, she was practically at his bed. Then, as if nothing had happened, she pulled back the covers, placed a pillow on his shoulder, and lay down on it.

"Goodnight... ," she threw him a quick, shy glance before closing her eyes, not wanting to show how embarrassed and excited she was.

"G-good-n-night...," he mumbled in total shock, disbelieving what had actually happened. She extremely regretted that she couldn’t see his face now, but she was afraid that she would do something stupid, or even more stupid than the fact that she had crawled into his bed…

She has received so much from him lately that he definitely deserves to repay him. She couldn’t give him much in terms of material things, but she could make him happy in other ways… If that makes him happy, she can bend her rules once again.

She knew that she couldn’t run away from it and that she would eventually have to make a decision about her further ‘acquaintance’ with the programmer. It certainly could not remain in the form it had been in so far, but choosing any other concept in this respect definitely required some longer and deeper thinking.

At this point, she wasn't sure if she would decide to tell him everything, but if such a decision were to be made, she would definitely need some more time to prepare herself...

However, that night she didn't want to think about it and decided to just enjoy the warmth that Fujisaki-san was providing her at that moment.

Both on the outside and deep within her heart. She felt so calm and safe… Without surprise, she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

Chapter 27: Chapter 26

The last week of summer vacation was coming to an end, and to her dismay, Hopes Peak was once again filling up with students who were arriving from their homes to prepare for the next semester.

These few days that she had the chance to spend only with Fujisaki-san were definitely among the most carefree in her life. One problem was, of course, their quantity. There were definitely fewer than she would have liked, and their duration was also far from ideal.

She barely looked around, and in two days, classes were starting. She may have missed some of it, but she wouldn't mind spending another week just watching movies, playing cards, or even doing the voice workshops she conducted to teach the programer how to use his voice in a way that sounded as feminine as possible.

This last one perfectly showed that everything that revolved around him always seemed to be at least a little interesting and exciting to her, no matter what it was...
During the last week, another such thing turned out to be their joint trip to the gym, which they decided to continue every Tuesday.

Of course, this was not the only example of the mentioned activities, which will certainly appear during the school year, but during this period their attention will also be absorbed by learning and, in the case of her roommate, other acquaintances...

Of course, she was happy that Fujisaki-san was liked by the students and had his own group with whom he got along well, and she knew very well that she shouldn’t be jealous of that. Unfortunately, no matter how much she tried to explain it to herself, sometimes uncontrollable thoughts of jealousy would appear in her head, which she desperately couldn't shake off.

The arrival of students in the dorm also reopened the season of organizing parties, the first of which was to take place that evening.

Haruka had the impression that Kuwata had not even had time to unpack properly after coming home, and he was already walking around the rooms to announce the planned party, but interestingly not at his place, but on the 8th floor, which was primarily responsible for entertainment in the dormitory.

The movie theater, game room, or bar were just a few of the many other activities that could be found there, but of course, these places were extremely popular and it was sometimes really hard to get in. This particular floor was characterized by a large number of reservations from students, which could be made even 0,5 years in advance. For example, many people would have their birthday parties there.

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that people like Ludenberg, whose talent allowed them to access the space even during reservations.

Of course, there were also hours when it was open to everyone, but the crowds that were there never encouraged the girl to go there during the school year.

The first time she went there was after Fujisaki-san returned from vacation. Then they had the opportunity to enjoy the space that was mainly for themselfs. 

Therefore, the actress was extremely surprised that the baseball player pointed out that the event was private, which meant that he had managed to sneak in with a reservation.

He claimed that his parties were very popular, and that is why he had to find a bigger space to organize them. However, this did not match what she had heard from Fujisaki-san, who had never seen crowds at the social events he had attended. There were usually no more than 10 people at the peak of the party, but it was still fascinating that all these people could fit in that room and huddle there willingly.

Her roommate recalled that most of them were sitting on the floor, and the room was turned upside down, with furniture pushed together to save a little more space. However, this did not work miracles, and after a few such endeavors, the programmer was clearly fed up and tried to avoid this kind of parties. Besides from what she knew, it wasn't just him. Asahina and Enoshima also gave up due to the conditions there.

Maybe if he now provides more space, he will actually achieve the much-desired greater interest, especially since the 8th floor certainly added more attractiveness to the event itself.

---

"S-sounds fun…," Fujisaki-san started to make advances shortly after Kuwata visited their door.

"A lot of people and loud music?," she asked ironically, giving him a suspicious look. "Definitely. So much fun…," she continued with her sarcasm.

"The floor is very large, so it will seem like there are a lot fewer people...," he commented. "For example, you could beat me at darts again," he tried to persuade her. "That sounds fun, doesn't it?," he said, giving her a suggestive look and smiling gently, and she unintentionally laughed.

"I'm afraid you might not be able to take another loss, so I'll let you off this time," she deflected the question, remaining unyielding.

"There's also mario cars and karaoke... ," he didn't let go of the topic. "We'll go for just a moment and leave whenever you want...," he continued, motivated, until she interrupted him with a nervous laugh, which was caused by the clear intonation of the word 'us'.

"Or…," she began, making a dramatic pause that was meant to give her a moment to calm down. "You can go alone and leave whenever you want."

"I-I know but..."

"Fujisaki-san…," she rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Asahina-san will be there too…"

"B-but I'd l-like to go with you!," he blurted out, already slightly dominated by the conversation, as indicated by his puffed cheeks, which turned all red after the statement. "I-Is it really that bad...?," he added sadly and looked down.

"You know that this isn't what it's about...," she sighed and sat down at her desk. She had recently acquired this habit. She even preferred to read that way. It was possible that it was because she was facing the boy that way and didn't need to turn the chair away from the desk. "I don’t fit in there, and you know that I don’t even want to."

"You don't have to fit in there, I want you to be who you are... ," his gaze shyly returned to her. "J-just...," he hesitated. "To others, it looks like we barely know each other... I-I don't l-like that...," his voice showed that he was ashamed of his feelings. "I know you don't care what others think of you…"

"But you do," she finished for him. "You want others to know that we're getting along."

"People genuinely tell me that they feel sorry for me that I share a room with you. I hate that...," he explained, looking even more sad. "Even when I try to correct them, they don't believe me... They think that I'm just being nice..."

She didn't realize that he was so frustrated and hurt by how others spoke badly of her. "I-I thought that... we c-could go with Ishimaru-san as we were...", he interrupted because the word 'friends' was clearly forbidden by her. "as we geting along well...," he finished, looking very emotionally exhausted. He tried hard not to cry during the conversation, but his eyes were watery the whole time.

Haruka got up from her desk and walked over to him, who was leaning against his desk while they talked. "I-I'm... so selfish... I-I shouldn't... f-force y-you...," he couldn't hold it in and just broke down in tears when she approached. He was clearly overcome with guilt for pushing her so hard.

The actress took a tissue from the box on the desk and wiped his tears, which were streaming down his cheeks.

"I'll go," she said, continuing to wipe his face. "But not for long," she smiled, hoping that this would calm him down a bit, but this gesture only made his tears flow even more. She reached for another tissue and repeated what she had done before.

"I-I don't want you to force y-yourself..."

"And I won't," she assured him. "I'll be myself and take the opportunity to give you a hard time in some games, not paying attention to those I don't like," she laughed, and he also laughed, relaxing a bit. "But I hope you won't regret later that others will know you're associating with someone like me," she joked, handing him another tissue, and then threw the used ones into the trash.

"I won't!," he declared enthusiastically, and she giggled.

---

The first problem appeared even before the event itself. As it turned out, Haruka didn’t have much to wear to the party. The number of her things was very limited and consisted of pajamas, school uniforms, one formal dress that was definitely not suitable for this type of occasion, and a pair of loose clothes that also didn't fit too well.

Fujisaki-san offered her a solution, suggesting that she borrow something from his wardrobe. However, while going through his clothes, she came across another obstacle, because unfortunately most of it was a bit too short for her, and although some people preferred mini skirts, she was not one of them.

However, after a bit of searching, she was finally able to find a nice and comfortable outfit.

It was a green, airy dress with small white flowers, a short sleeve, and a delicate waist cut, which, because it reached her roommate's knee, was not too short for her.

The programmer also lent her his cosmetics. At first, she didn't intend to use it, but when she was finally alone in the bathroom, already dressed in a really nice outfit, she decided that a little makeup wouldn't hurt. After applying it, looking in the mirror, she felt like she was preparing for some kind of role, and maybe that was actually the case.

She had never participated in any party before, and although she had some suspicions, she still didn't know what to exactly expect, which meant that she would have to use at least some of her social flexibility and, what was worse, her social battery.

After finishing the preparations, she gathered all the tools back into the cosmetic case, ironed the dress with her hand, and was about to leave, but stopped when she glanced at herself in the mirror and noticed her hair, which was typically tied up in a high ponytail.

She returned to her reflection and after staring at it for a moment, decided to let her hair down. She combed it out and arranged it in front on her shoulders.

---

Chihiro was absolutely thrilled. He didn't even care that the party had started an hour ago and they hadn't left the room yet. He could even wait patiently for another hour for Yoshida-san to be ready. The most important thing was that she finally agreed to go with him, even though he still felt a little guilty about possibly forcing her into it...

When the bathroom door opened and his roommate appeared, the view took his breath away...

She looked stunning. The dress fit her perfectly, accentuating her figure. Her subtle makeup, which consisted mainly of a touch of blush on her cheeks, slightly emphasized eyelashes, and a delicate shine that highlighted her full lips, that caught the programmer's eye for a bit longer...

He also noticed her loose hair, which perfectly complemented the overall look, but also caused a slight feeling of jealousy that he would no longer be the only one who could admire her dark curls in their full glory...

"I don't know if the fact that you're not saying anything is a good sign," she laughed, which only added to her charm. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He stood there like a statue, and although he wanted to say something, the words wouldn't come out. That he was as red as a beet was also certain. "Do I look tolerable?," she asked, approaching him and looking him gently in the eyes.

"Y-yes-s," he mumbled, unable to say anything else.

"Okey, that's good that you think it's just tolerable then," she chuckled again.

"N-no!," he didn't even know why he was being so emotional about it, after all he knew the actress was doing it on purpose.

"So it's not tolerable, then?," she teased him further.

He was convinced that she was well aware of his opinion after seeing his reaction when he saw her, but Yoshida-san loved to tease him, and to be honest he loved it when she did...

"Y-you look beautiful!…you are s-so…p-pretty…," emotions and panic took over and his tongue completely unraveled, which the girl, as it turned out, completely did not expect. He immediately noticed her cheeks turning red, and it was a pretty intense color, which was very rare in her case.

Although at this moment he should feel primarily embarrassed by his confession, a slight satisfaction appeared in his mind that he managed to throw the girl off balance. Looking at her now, he realized how wrong he had been just moments before when he thought that Yoshida-san couldn't look any more beautiful. The girl now in this form was just so...

"Cute," another opinion unthinkingly came out of his mouth, after which he immediately covered it with his hand, afraid that he would say something more.

The actress's reaction to this observation was even more surprising, because Yoshida-san blushed even more. She was completely thrown off track now. It seemed that he had never seen her so agitated. Besides the blush, he noticed a distinct shyness in her, which he read primarily from her eyes, which could gaze at him endlessly.

But of course, nothing lasts forever…

"Fair enough," she laughed quietly and turned her gaze away from him, toward the clock. "A lesson for the future, so as not to tease you that much," she slowly began to make her way towards the door. "Well played," when she turned back, there was nothing left of her blushes and shy gaze. A wide smile and a lively, confident gaze replaced it.

"I don't know how you do it... but I managed to catch you for at least a moment...," he thought, smiling back and joining her at the door without saying a word.

After that they left the room immediately.

---

"Are you sure I sound okay?," asked Fujisaki-san in the elevator, suddenly overcome with stress caused by his voice change due to the summer vacation.

He hadn't talked to anyone at school except her, so the party was really the first chance to see how much her workshops had actually helped. In her opinion, he did quite well, and the fact that people were decidedly unimaginative worked in their favor, as she had mentioned this many times before.

Now that she looked at him in that red dress and a bow in his hair, he actually looked very girlish in her eyes, but in her opinion, that was where his connection to the female gender ended.

"Do you think I'll answer you differently the 10th time?," she asked, amused by the fact that they had been returning to the same topic all day. She also wanted to ease his stress with this attitude. She noticed today that the more panic he experienced, the more unwise decisions were born in his head… 'You’re beautiful' and 'cute' will probably stay with her until death… "Fujisaki-san I wouldn't have let you out of the room if I wasn't sure you sounded believable," after her statement, the elevator stopped.

"B-believable?!," but her second statement had the opposite effect and caused him even greater panic.

Apparently, the statement ‘believable’ was too general. She decided to hold the door open for a moment longer with the button.

"You sound okey when you're speaking in a normal, natural way. I would even say that you sound great when you do that," she corrected her previous statement, causing him to blush. "I taught you to talk like a girl with a low tone. It's not often seen, but it's not unbelievable," she added gently, explaining her concept again. "Additionally, it's almost the same as how you sounded before. Before you met me, you didn’t pay much attention to it, and no one guessed, so now I’m even more convinced that everything will be fine."

"You're right, I'm so... t-think you, Yoshida-san," he first threw her an innocent glance, visually apologizing for the mistake, then he smiled broadly, relaxing considerably. "Y-you're very patient...", he added after a moment.

"Only for you," she thought.

"Certainly I won't be at the party," she laughed and pressed the button in the elevator again, after which the doors opened immediately.

---

As they entered the common area on the 8th floor, they could immediately hear loud thumping, which some might call music, but for Haruka, it was definitely not what she had in mind.

The party seemed to have been going on for only an hour, and the floor in the hallway was already definitely coated, suggesting that it would only get worse inside the main part of the floor.

Fujisaki-san sent her a shy smile probably noticing her lack of enthusiasm, and then he opened the door behind which the whole event was located.

They now found themselves in a vast space, completely covered with a luxurious patterned carpet and a gold-burgundy wallpaper that perfectly matched it. The room had a high ceiling, which was primarily used to accommodate a mezzanine with suede couches and large black tables from which one could perfectly observe what was happening downstairs. She saw Maizono, Enoshima, Ludenberg, and Ikusaba-san sipping red liquor from their glasses on one of the benches.

In the center of the room, on a large raised platform, was a very large black bar and red suede stools. As she knew, it was not equipped with alcohol, which was delivered for possible use in educational purposes, but she did not dare assume that the girls upstairs were drinking regular currant juice, so her classmate must have managed to stock up on his own. At the bar, Hagakure, Kuwata, and Owada sat with mugs that were probably filled with beer. The rest of the center was intended as a dance floor.

On the right side of the space, there was a small stage with appropriate sound equipment, which was mainly intended for live music, but it was mostly used by students as a karaoke zone. Although there was one in another room on the 8th floor, it was quite far from the main part of the room and too small to accommodate more than 7 people.

The left side, on the other hand, was entirely dedicated to a casino and other more ‘innocent’ activities like chess or board games. At one of the tables, Naegi-san and Yamada were playing a card game, and not far from them, Ogami-san, Kirigiri-san, and Asahina were watching their game intently.

Although the room was noisy due to the music and conversations, the distinctive creak of the massive front door opening was not lost on some of the partygoers.

"Chihiro-chan, I was going to text to you where...," Fujisaki-san, who entered first, was immediately enthusiastically greeted by Asahina, who, however, immediately stopped her speech when she saw Haruka entering right behind him.

"Holy shit, Yoshida's at my party!," Kuwata almost dropped his mug in shock. The actress didn't miss that he already looked a bit drunk.

If any of the partygoers hadn't noticed their presence yet, that would probably change after the redhead's yell. She felt that all eyes were now on them, and more on her, but she had already been thrown off balance a moment before the surprised and suspicious glances turned in her direction.

"Chihiro…," she repeated the swimmer's voice in her head.

"When did they start calling each other by their first names...?"

Chapter 28: Chapter 27

Her presence caused quite a stir among the gathered crowd. Of course, there were a few questions from the most curious people in the group about the reason for her sudden interest in social life. Haruka skillfully dodged these questions, not wanting to explain anything to anyone, only hinting that 'someone' might have nudged her a bit in that direction. This was intended to meet the expectations of Fujisaki-san, who wanted to show in the company that their relationship wasn't just about sharing a room in silence.

After that, some people quickly seemed to get used to her presence at the event and quickly returned to their previous activities, but for some, the dislike for her was visible practically until the very end.

Such people definitely included Owada and Asahina, who would cast suspicious glances at her from time to time. However, she assumed that their behavior was primarily due to their surprise that Fujisaki-san had brought her that evening.

Besides the two mentioned, it was obvious that Maizono was also not happy with her presence, however, unlike the swimmer and the gangster, she tried to pretend that she was neutral, although, according to Haruka, she was not very good at it. When the idol posed a seemingly innocent question to her boyfriend - "I didn't know you invited Yoshida-san Leon," the actress already knew that the girl was probably seething inside.

However, most of the people gathered decided to simply ignore her, much to her great satisfaction. This was most likely due to the fact that she was not very talkative from the start about the questions she received and also refused to accept any drink. Additionally, unlike Fujisaki-san, she didn't have a reputation as a cute, innocent girl.

The presence of almost the entire class really surprised her. Besides Togami and Fukawa, who she didn't expect to be here anyway, there was only one person missing – Ishimaru-san. The absence of a moral compass was a bit of a concern for her and her roommate, as the boy had declared just yesterday that he would also participate in the event.

But she was now wondering if it would be a good idea to bring him here now when a large part of their classmates were probably already pretty drunk. Although she wouldn't complain if the red-eyed boy cleaned up here, reported them to the teaching staff, and gave everyone a detention, Fujisaki-san would definitely not have imagined their first party together like that.

"Shall we sit down?," the programmer asked hesitantly when the surrounding interest had calmed down a bit.

He turned his gaze to the table with cards nearby, where Asahina was among others, whom Fujisaki-san apologized for being late after the whole commotion. The swimmer, though still taken aback by the current situation, immediately invited him to join their table and watch together what she called "Naegi-kun, who is messing up in the game," and then returned to the aforementioned company.

Haruka didn't want to be like the fifth wheel of the wagon for him and would have preferred to tell him that he could join his friends and she would play on the machines in the meantime, but when she looked at him, she saw that he really wanted her to be there.

She smiled gently and then waved her hand for him to go ahead. Before they reached the table, Asahina had already brought an extra chair for Fujisaki-san. When she noticed that Haruka was also planning to sit nearby it was clear that she felt embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Yoshida-san, I didn't think you'd want to join us too...," the swimmer seemed sincere, but it was still clear that she wasn't convinced about the actress's presence in the company.

It was hard to blame her, as Haruka had not spoken to most of her classmates for the entire first semester, although it should also be noted that none of them had ever tried to start a conversation with her either.

"No worries, I'll take a chair," she replied politely, glancing at the row of chairs at other tables. "If that's not a problem, of course," she added, sending her delicate acting smile.

"Yoshida-dono, beautiful women are always welcome in my company, so that's no problem," said Yamada, who momentarily broke away from his game.

She decided to leave his "peculiar' statement without comment. The boy was known for his strange suggestions, especially to girls, but fortunately they weren't as disturbing as those made by Hanamura.

The artist was immediately joined by Naegi-san, Kirigiri-san, and Ogami-san, who also had no objections. Asahina didn't say anything, but sent her a nervous smile that was probably meant to symbolize her consent. But the truth was that at that moment the swimmer had no choice but to nod.

After that, Haruka went to get the chair, but before she could reach it, Fujisaki-san already caught up to her and was ready to bring it for her.

"I'll bring it, you can take the one that is already there," he said, flashing her a broad smile.

"I'll manage, you can sit down Fujisaki-san," she said firmly, giving him a meaningful look to make him stop. He was as charming and polite as always, but he couldn't forget that he was pretending to be a girl now.

"B-but…," the boy was a little bit upset by her refusal.

He seemed to be taken aback that this gesture suddenly bothered her, since she had allowed him to behave that way before. His worried expression was enough to make her realize that she couldn't just leave it like that. Fortunately, they were still a bit away from the group.

"How much I love the fact that you're a gentleman, now you're my girly roomate, so please sit down on the chair alright?," she whispered softly, gently leaning towards his ear while trying to draw as little attention to themselfs as possible. She was aware that she was being watched at all times.

The programmer blushed slightly, looked at her shyly, and nodded, then carried out her command. When he sat down, the actress heading her way back to the table with the chair heard Asahina ask him if everything was okay, to which he nodded and flashed her a gentle smile.

After she took her seat, as one could expect, no one spoke a word for a good couple of minutes. Everyone just silently watched the card game. Although this solution suited her, some of the company must have felt uncomfortable. However, the provocateur of the situation came to their rescue.

"Ishimaru-san should have been here a long time ago," Fujisaki-san asked. The question was asked loud enough that it was probably meant for everyone, but his gaze settled only on her.

"I was thinking about that too," she replied, looking around the space again for a moral compass that might have escaped their notice.

"Ishimaru-san was supposed to be here?," Asahina joined the conversation, for whom the red-eyed man's participation in the event seemed to be new information.

"He said Kuwata invited him, and he declared that he would be very happy to participate. We were supposed to meet at the location...," she explained, wondering if the redhead had anything to do with Ishimaru-san not showing up.

After some thought, it's strange that he even invited him in the first place. 

"Hmm… Maybe he changed his mind," the swimmer said after a moment of thought.

"It doesn't sound like Ishimaru-san," Fujisaki-san disagreed with the girl's theory.

"Ishimaru-san doesn't seem too...," the girl hesitated, probably searching for the right word that wouldn't offend the absent. "...party-like"

"Ishimaru-san likes to integrate with others and seemed excited to come here. Additionally, I also think that it's not his style to just not show up without letting anyone know anything. He's too responsible for something like that," Haruka agreed with her roommate.

The actress was convinced that something had to have happened, that the boy had not showed up after all. Although most of the class considered the moral compass to be a stiff-necked person who only sat in books and regulations, both she and Fujisaki-san knew very well that Ishimaru-san wanted to get along better with his classmates and establish better contact with them.

"Maybe Owada knows something? Or Kuwata?," Naegi-san interjected with a valuable suggestion.

"Maybe it's better that he's not here," Yamada added his own thrust to the discussion. "He would probably rat us out to the teacher," he turned his gaze away from the cards and looked at them, adjusting his glasses. "You know, for the alcohol."

"The truth is that we shouldn't be drinking at our age...," Naegi-san spoke up again as a voice of reason.

"One drink wouldn't hurt, Naegi-dono," the bespectacled boy laughed. "Maybe then you would play cards better." 

Luckster only loudly sighed in response, not wanting to continue the discussion, and then returned his attention to his cards.

"As long as you don't have vertigo and you're not vomiting, it's not that bad," Asahina-san said.

"Very well said Asahina-dono," the illustrator agreed.

Haruka's attitude towards alcohol was purely negative, and drinking or even abusing it at the age of 15 seemed absurd to her. However, she had no intention of engaging in a discussion with any one on the subject. In the end, everyone had their own mind. If someone wants to get poisoned, that's not her problem. 

Of course as long as the drunks stay away from her.

"Speaking of drinks, shall we go to bar Chihiro-chan?," the swimmer turned directly to the programmer, immediately standing up from the chair, before he could even answer.

However, the proposal immediately raised Haruka's blood pressure. She must have lost her mind to be offering him alcohol. "By the way, we can ask the boys about Ishimaru-san," she added, sending him a gentle smile.

"I-I think I will pass on getting a drink…," Fujisaki-san thankfully managed to muster some assertiveness.

"Are you sure?,"she replied, slightly disappointed. "Small one won't hurt you, " the swimmer pressed, which stretched the string for Haruka.

"I think Fujisaki-san is sure," the actress interjected just in case. She knew the programmer and was worried that under pressure, he might give in to the girl. However, she tried to make her statement mild and not suggest her real irritation.

Asahina was clearly taken aback by her sudden interest in the conversation. "Right Fujisaki-san?," she now looked at her roommate to make sure he wasn't upset that she was interfering in his business. The boy, however, responded with a broad smile at her gaze.

"Yes, I'm sure," he confirmed, what actress had hoped, that would finally end the discussion.

"Okay…," Asahina let out. "But you can walk with me," she added, reaching out to help him up from the spot. "Sakura-chan, Kirigiri-chan, can I get you something?" she said to the girls.

"No, thank you," Kirigiri-san replied stoically.

"I'll also pass," Ogami-san said right after her.

Fujisaki-san stood up from his chair, pulled by the swimmer, but still seemed unsure if he should follow her towards the bar.

"Asahina-dono, I'd love to have a drink from you," Yamada gave her a suggestive look.

"You're a man, you can bring it yourself," she said, a little bit indignant. "Shall we go?" she returned her attention to the programmer, still holding his hand gently.

He quickly glanced at her, but then immediately turned his gaze toward Haruka. She suspected that it was because the boy didn't want to leave her alone in the company.

"Don't let them wriggle out of answering," the actress said, slipping a reassuring glance to her roommate. He didn’t have to babysit her all the time. "I'm sure they know something."

"We'll try," replied motivated Fujisaki-san, directing a warm smile in her direction

After that Asahina finally pulled him toward the center of the room.

Although Haruka tried to tone down their interactions as much as possible, she was convinced that even if not Ogami-san, Kirigiri-san had certainly noticed their mutual glances. Actress did not want to generate unnecessary gossip.

She had to at least pretend that she was interested in more than just the programmer here…

"So what are you guys playing?," she asked, trying to start a conversation.

---

"You didn't tell me that you and Yoshida-san were friends...," Aoi-san began the conversation when they were halfway to the bar. Her statement sounded as if she was a bit reproachful.

"W-we're not f-friends...," he corrected, but his statement didn't seem convincing even to himself.

"Aren't you?," she asked, a bit confused. "I thought since you invited her here..."

"I-I just said she should come…," he continued. "She's... a great...roomate and I just thought it would be nice if others got to know her from a different side," he concluded his convoluted explanation, which, although not far from the truth, was extremely stressful for him.

He didn't want the swimmer to think that he was hiding his acquaintance with Yoshida-san from her on purpose, and to be angry with him about it. Especially since he mentioned a few times that he and the actress got along well while sharing a room together.

However, he couldn't call it friendship back then...

And actually he still can't...

"You're a great person, Chihiro-chan...," his conversation partner complimented him, and he blushed slightly. "It's nice that you wanted Yoshida-san to integrate more," she sent him a broad smile, then turned her attention to the guys at the bar, who had already noticed that they were heading their way.

"What can I get for you girls?," said Kuwata, who was definitely not done with one drink.

"For me, one with orange juice," Aoi-san declared as she sat down on one of the stools. "Chihiro-chan, maybe you could at least take just the juice?"

 

"No, thank you though," he replied gently, fearing that someone might think to add something to the juice. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his classmates, but better safe than sorry.

"Your loss," the redhead said, then began preparing the drink the brunette had ordered earlier.

"Fujisaki-chi you should chill a bit more," interjected Hagakure-san, who was also not the most sober one.

What was astonishing, though, he was the only one of them who drank legally, or almost legally, because on the school grounds you couldn't drink any high-percentage beverages anyway.

"If she doesn't want to drink, she doesn't have to, and it's not your fucking bussines," Owada-san growled in response to their teasing.

"Alright, alright, we just kidding, Mondo," the baseball player replied with a light laugh, placing a drink for Aoi-san on the counter. "Fujisaki-san probably didn't take offense, did she?," he added a bit flirtatiously toward Chihiro, who only smiled shyly in response, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

He knew perfectly well that if they knew he was a man, they wouldn't treat him that way, but the truth was that he was only one to blame for it...

"Better tell us Fujisaki-chi what you did to bring Yoshida-chi here...," Hagakure looked at the actress, who to his surprise seemed to be having a conversation with Naegi-san.

"Exactly, Sayaka gave me a hard time for inviting her, but I didn't expect her to actually come," Kuwata also showed interest. He could have expected that the topic of his roommate would keep coming back to him for the rest of the day. "It seems you gave Naegi the eye," he suggested, unknowingly sticking a pin in the programmer's heart.

Although Chihiro was generally pleased that the girl had decided to talk to someone, there was a hint of jealousy that passed through him after the baseball player's comment. After all, the girl had shown no interest in anyone else then him before...

"I don't know if she is Naegi-kun's type," Aoi-san joined the conversation, having already half-emptied her glass.

"If it's not his type, she's definitely mine, she looks quite hot in that dress," Hagakure-san finished his beer without taking his eyes off Yoshida-san. When the programmer brought his roommate here, he certainly didn't want to arouse this kind of interest in her among their classmates. Now he slowly began to regret that they had both come here at all.... "What do you think, Mondo-chi?" he asked Owada-san, who, like Chihiro, remained silent during the whole discussion.

"Not my type," he said shortly.

"Well, you like more innocent girls, don't you, Mondo?," Kuwata-san said suggestively, glancing at the programmer.

The gangster turned all red and immediately became nervous, which made the programmer even more regretful that he had not listened to his roommate and did not decided to watch the movie with her instead.

He got along quite well with Owada-san, but he was afraid that his feelings for him might not be only platonic...

"And you can shut your fucking mouth and focus on your chick instead of watching others!," he jumped up from the stool and approached the redhead with his fists at his face. But after a moment he backed away. "I'm going to take a piss, " he said and probably went to the bathroom.

"Why does he always have to be so hotheaded... ," Aoi-san sighed, putting down her empty glass and looking at Kuwata-san, as if expecting him to make her another drink.

After the motorcyclist left, the atmosphere became tense.

"Kuwata-san…," Chihiro, who finally found the courage to ask about Ishimaru-san, broke the silence. "Do you know why Ishimaru-san didn't come?"

"That nerd?," the redhead laughed. "I told him that the party was tomorrow, when he said he was going to show up today. It's going to be a real snorter when he finds out tomorrow that it was all a joke."

"This is terrible…," Chihiro was disgusted by the boy's behavior.

How can someone act like that? Ishimaru-san was ecstatic when he heard that he had managed to persuade Yoshida-san, and that the three of them would be able to spend time together outside of their lunch break... Now the programmer felt guilty that they had agreed to meet at the location instead of deciding to come together.

"You're a total jerk, Kuwata," Aoi-san said. "You could just not invite him. Doing something like that..."

"Loosen up, if it weren't for me you wouldn't be sipping on your second drink right now, and instead you'd be sitting in the detention until the end of the school year," he pointed out to the swimmer. "There's obviously something wrong with him. This guy has some sick obsessions," the baseball player started to get carried away.

"I-if you got to know him, y-you might be able t-to...," Chihiro tried to convince him, but he already felt that stress was taking control of him. He was so sad that he felt like he was going to cry.

"Fujisaki-san, I know you want to be nice and you've taken in weirdos like Ishimaru and Yoshida, but you must see that they stick out from the rest of us. I exchanged more meaningful words with Kirigiri than with both of them combined!," the redhead now seemed pretty irritated.

"But it's not a reason to make fun of someone and humiliate them," the swimmer tried to reach him, but he seemed to not care at all about her words.

"Is there a problem?," Yoshida-san suddenly appeared at the bar and stood next to him, lightly touching his shoulder. Girl had to be watching them for a while if she could react so quickly.

"You also came to complain about poor Ishimaru," Kuwata replied ironically. He seemed to be very dominated by the conversation, and alcohol seemed to add even more temperament to him.

"I came because first your friend Owada and now you are yelling at them for no reason," the actress said calmly, but her tone was firm. "Do you like to scare people for no reason? Because the fact that you like to make a fool of yourself because someone has different standards than you I already noticed."

"Calm down, Yoshida, I don't think scaring Fujisaki-san is a big deal," he joked, which clearly didn't sit well with the girl.

Her eyes changed, and it was a look Chihiro had never seen before in her eyes.

"It amuses you that the girl is afraid...," Aoi-san began, irritated, but her statement was interrupted by the actress, who leaned toward the redhead.

"But you know what's a big deal?! To push my fucking buttons," Yoshida-san looked furious. "You raise your voice at her one more time, and you'll see what it means to be truly afraid... ," she threatened him, clenching her right hand and casting a cold gaze at him. "As for Ishimaru-san..."

"So you decided to organized this friendly meeting today after all?!," the moral compass, dressed in his white formal uniform, suddenly appeared at the door out of nowhere.

"You're fucking kidding me...," Owada, who had just returned to the room, said, then moved towards his roommate.

And then it got only worse...

Chapter 29: Chapter 28

Everything seemed to be happening so fast.

At one moment, he was watching Yoshida-san arguing with Kuwata-san, at another, Ishimaru-san burst into the room, and at the next, a huge argument broke out between Owada-san and Ishimaru-san.

The heated exchange of words ended with the gangster rushing at his roommate with his fists, but fortunately, he was quickly separated with the help of Ogami-san, Hagakure-san, and Kuwata-san.

The commotion caused the entire class to gather in the center of the room.

Now, before all of them, there was the sight of a battered and weeping moral compass lying on the floor. Although many people offered him help, he didn’t want to accept it. Chihiro's heart was breaking as he looked at it.

Everyone remained silent, not knowing how to behave. After a while, Ishimaru-san stood up on his own and the first thing he did was shake his clothes.

"I thought I was invited, but since circumstances have changed, I won't be imposing anymore," he smiled through his tears and began to head towards the exit.

"Ishimaru-san, I'll walk you," the actress interrupted.

"I really appreciate Yoshida-san, but I can manage without anyone's assistance," he rejected her offer, and she, not wanting to push the issue, just nodded gently. A few seconds later, he was gone.

"I hope you're all proud of yourselves," Yoshida-san addressed the gathered crowd. "He just wants to be funcking accepted, you know. You don’t have to like him, but you should respect him. Especially since you know shit about him," mainly her eyes were on the Owada-san, who seemed to be ashamed after the emotions had subsided.

"It was foolish to invite him in the first place," concluded Maizono-san, casting a suggestive glance at her boyfriend.

"It turned out shitty, I admit," said embarrassed Kuwata-san.

---

After all, the party ended on its own, because most of the people didn't want to participate in it after the whole incident. When they were already in the room, it was clear that Fujisaki-san looked extremely down.

"Are you okay?," she asked, taking a seat next to him on the bed. The boy nodded in response, but didn't say a word, and his gaze was fixed on the floor. Additionally, the programmer was shaking all over.

She leaned her head down to get a better look at his face. That's when she saw the tears running down his cheeks. "Do you want me to leave you alone?," she decided to ask before doing anything else, but the programmer denied again with just a nod.

The sight of the beaten Ishimaru-san was not something pleasant even for her to watch, so she preferred not to imagine how her roommate felt right now. And then there was the whole situation with Kuwata... He must have been terrified...

She went to get the tissues and his makeup bag. When she sat back down on the bed, the boy's gaze shifted to the bag, which definitely caught his attention. The fact that she took it with her was certainly unusual for him.

"We should get rid of the makeup," she smiled, then wiped his cheeks with a regular tissue. "Can I?" she asked, now grabbing a cotton pad and makeup remover. She knew that the boy felt best in his true form, and he was so shaken that he certainly wouldn't be able to wash off his makeup on his own now. Additionally, she wanted to somehow distract him from the events of that evening.

"Y-yes, please...", his glassy eyes now shyly looked into her brown irises. Even when he was completely tear-stained and his makeup was smeared, she couldn't look away from him. She had never met anyone as attractive as him.

Many times she tried to remember if she had ever seen someone, even many years ago, on TV, who at least matched him in appearance, but not once did anyone like that come to her mind. Fujisaki-san was probably not the type of boy that most girls would like, but she was aware that she would not be the only one to sigh over him in her life.

How much she wanted him to look at her like that forever, removing his makeup, especially taking off his false eyelashes, required him to have his eyes closed.

"You have to close your eyes," she announced, dipping a cotton pad in the liquid. "Since I didn't poke out your eye with a tweezer, you should feel even safer with cotton pads," she joked, which caused a clear smile on his face.

"I feel safe... ," he replied, blushing slightly, and then carried out the order, allowing her to continue. "I’m sorry that the party turned out to be…"

"Awful? It's not your fault. At least I had the opportunity to dress nicely," she concluded briefly, not giving him room for further self-blame. "I didn't expect much from drunk teenagers, anyway," she said, getting rid of his false eyelashes.

"Right, the alcohol doesn't bode well," he agreed, which pleased her greatly.

"However, it was comforting that at least some people showed common sense, so it's probably not the downfall of humanity yet," she laughed.

"Kirigiri-san and Ogami-san seem responsible."

"It seems that besides us, only they didn't drink alcohol... and Naegi-san," when she mentioned the boy, Fujisaki-san seemed to shudder slightly. "He even tried to reason with the others a bit," she said, slowly finishing his makeup removal.

"I saw you e-exchange a few words with N-Naegi-san...," he mentioned it as if it was nothing, but his stutter did not go unnoticed by Haruka.

"Yes, he explained the game he played with Yamada, Hanafuda, if I remember correctly. However, I had the impression that he wasn't even sure of the rules himself when he was talking about it, so I didn't understand much," she giggled softly, which made her roommate suddenly open his eyes.

"Was someone... jealous," she thought, feeling an involuntary satisfaction.

"It's a pretty hard game, but once we have access to the cards, I think you'll understand what it's about very easly," he said with confidence.

"He's so cute when he's jealous," she continued in her mind, and responded to his statement with another subtle giggle.

"But I remember that the cards looked very nice. They had great drawings," she added, straying a bit from the topic of the luckseter, who, after all, didn't interest her at all.

Although she was tempted to tease him a bit more, she knew she couldn't overdo it.

She could also volleyed back and asked about the swimmer. She could ask about their unfortunate switch to the first name, but decided not to touch on the subject.

No matter how dissatisfied she was with the direction of the programmer's relationship with the girl, she couldn't act selfishly. It was his chance to bond with someone normal…not like her.

"Now it's better," she declared proudly and smiled involuntarily at the sight of his clean face. "You can change now," she said, standing up to throw the used cotton pads into the trash can. "When you leave, we’ll exchange. I also need to go back to the factory settings," she joked, which definitely also made the boy laugh.

"Thank you. You did it much faster than I usually do... ," he laughed and then headed towards the closet. He pulled out a pyjama and then headed to the bathroom.

"Fujisaki-san," she stopped him. "You don't have to pretend... not here... not with me...," she assured him.

"I know, I just didn't want to cause..."

"You're not the problem," she interrupted him. "Especially not mine. Okay?"

"Okey...," he repeated, but with no conviction.

It's so hard for him to understand that he's not responsible for all the evil in the world. However, this was a trait they obviously shared…

"Thank you for standing up for me today... You're a great... roommate," he added after a moment, slightly embarrassed, receiving her gentle smile in return.

It's a good thing that her reaction didn't scare him off, because she definitely got carried away with Kuwata's stupid taunt.

"When we're done... do you want to watch something?," she asked innocently, but her gaze said it all.

"I'd be happy to!," he replied enthusiastically, beaming with joy, and then quickly went to change. The boy got excited very easily, which often rubbed off on her.

She slept peacefully that night…

---

The first day of the new semester began, of course, with her being late for homeroom, and all because she had opened the faucet too wide in her haste and the water had shot straight at her, completely soaking her uniform and forcing her to change quickly.

It was fortunate that she was able to convince Fujisaki-san not to wait for her, because he would have gotten a scolding from the teacher and Ishimaru-san, who was in a great mood to her surprise.

He smiled from ear to ear, and his tone as always indicated motivation to act and a positive attitude. However, that was still not the strangest thing that had happened that morning...

During the lesson, Haruka caught Ishimaru-san and Owada staring at each other a few times, and it wasn't hostile.

She and the programmer wondered if they should check on the red-eyed boy the day after the unfortunate event, but ultimately decided to wait until today, which, given the current situation, turned out to be a good decision.

After the class, which was primarily based on another summary of the previous semester and discussions about what was in store for them in the one that had just begun, the moral copass stormed out of the room, probably to his next class, so she didn't have a chance to exchange a word with him.

She'll probably find out something during lunch… However, she was not the only one to notice the suspicious behavior of the red-eyed boy, as Fujisaki-san was also wondering about Ishimaru-san's behavior.

"Do you think they made up?," the programmer stood by her desk, ready to leave, as she was still packing her things.

"That would be veeery strange...," she said, trying to find another explanation for what had happened. "But in the end It's important that Ishimaru-san feels good...," she declared, tucking the last notebook into her backpack. "Or at least, that's what it seems," she added a moment later, forgetting that she might have simply underestimated the acting skills of the moral compass.

"Maybe at lunch…"

"Chihiro-chan, are you going?," Asahina, who had approached him impatiently, interrupted him.

Fujisaki-san usually didn't wait for her after class, instead leaving the room with the swimmer and Ogami-san.

Haruka had a tendency to be the last one to leave, mainly because she liked to avoid the crowds.

The programmer sometimes tried to delay his departure, hoping to convince Asahina not to wait for him, but this was usually not very effective, as the girl was very motivated. 

For the observer, her roommate's friendship with the swimmer was a bit peculiar. Asahina seemed to want to spend as much time as possible with Fujisaki-san when he sometimes needed a 'moment to catch his breath.'

The actress was convinced that the programmer wanted to do the right thing, and it's just exhausting for him to pretend to be a girl for more time than necessary. For example the boy spent the whole afternoon with Asahina yesterday, after which he was completely exhausted. However, he said that he had a great time, which was the most important thing for Haruka. It's possible that if the girl knew his true nature, their relationship would have been more comfortable for him. After all, constantly pretending to be someone you're not isn't a good foundation for a genuine friendship.

She knew that perfectly well...

The programmer must have felt a huge sense of guilt about having to deceive her.

However, it was still astonishing to the actress that the swimmer hadn't noticed how low her friend's assertiveness was and how 'she' always tried to please everyone around 'her', but not 'herself'.

Or, it is possible that she was also perfectly aware of this and simply used it to her advantage, but this could be an unfounded accusation that Haruka could only make out of pure jealousy.

Additionally, no matter how much she... liked her roommate, she thought he should be more honest with Asahina, even about his overwhelming and pervasive fear of offending her. But she never told him that, because she didn't want to interfere. The actress offer her advice only when the programmer asked her to.

Of course, when discussing the relationship between the two, it was also necessary to mention that the swimmer's excessive initiative had an additional basis... and it was Haruka herself...

The boy always seemed to put her first, and sometimes she felt like he would give up just about anything so they could spend some time together... alone...

However, the actress tried not to base this phenomenon primarily on any potential feelings for her, but rather on the comfort of being just himself and perhaps more compatible interests beetwen them.

"Y-you can go without me...," he replied nervously, already giving her a quick glance that meant he would need her help. Looking at his face, she knew the boy had no idea what to say next and that she had to think fast. "I-I..."

"Fujisaki-san promised to escort me to class. The speaker I use for dance practice screwed up. I just wanted her to take a look on it and maybe do something about it," she made up a story on the spot, her eyelid didn't even twitch. "If you'd like, you can walk with us, Asahina-san," she added politely, knowing that the girl would probably give up in this situation.

"Chihiro-chan, you're so kind. We were supposed to grab a quick coffee before our next class, but I think we can give her to you this time," she laughed, and Haruka smiled despite the complete confusion in her head.

"Typical coffee huh...?," she thought. That would explain his constant evasions even more. When the girl disappeared behind the door, Haruka immediately gave the boy a meaningful look.

"Coffee? Really?," she asked sarcastically as they left the room. "Maybe a coconut latte?," she continued, not stopping to be ironic.

"I tried to tell her... but before I could say anything, she had already bought me a cup," he explained.

"And you thought it would be impolite not to drink it...," she finished for him. At this point, it shouldn't be surprising at all. Each subsequent accident would likely end the same way. "Fujisaki-san…," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I know, I know… I'm hopeless…, " he replied, dejected.

"At most hopelessly non-assertive," she corrected him. "And decidedly too altruistic."

"It's stronger than me…," he replied quietly, ashamed of himself.

"I know," she said, looking at him kindly. She knew that sermons wouldn't do any good here. Especially since she actually knew that it was stronger than him. Defensive mechanism that is deeply ingrained in him. "We'll have to work on this then," she declared, directing a tender smile his way, which was reciprocated after a moment. She believed that with small steps, he could build up his assertiveness at least a little.

They didn’t return to the subject during the rest of the journey.

When they reached the elevator, she realized that the boy was actually going to escort her all the way to the locker room.

"You know you don't have to escort me?," she assured him to be sure he wasn't doing it just because he felt he had to. "It was just the first thing that came to mind."

"I know," he replied briefly, mimicking the tone she usually used when saying those words. He tried to keep a serious face, but when their gazes met, he involuntarily laughed, which also made her laugh. "It's good that the speaker is okay," he added, still fully smiling, and she burst out laughing again, which threw him off his guard. He turned his questioning gaze toward her.

"I'm sure there are some speakers there, and I assume they work very well," she replied, still chuckling.

"Y-you made t-that up too?!, " he asked, this time much more nervously. "What if Aoi-san ever finds out…"

"Then I'll say that I made it up so that I have an excuse to have you escort me. I'll look a little bit like a bitch but you'll be safe either way," she explained, still proud of her plan B. "I always come up with something, so don't worry," she added gently to calm him down.

"I don't want you to present yourself as a liar..."

"But that's who I am," she pointed out. "Only the excuse is different...,"she threw him a meaningful look, at which he blushed slightly.

The elevator doors opened, and it wasn't far from the corridor where they got off to the locker room.

"Thank you for the escort," she said jokingly when they reached their destination. "You're a real gentleman," she added softly, bending over his ear. The boy immediately blushed, which gave her a sense of satisfaction, and his subsequent shy glance in her direction only deepened it.

"Go, or you'll be late for astronomy," she added as the programmer still hadn't started walking back. "Remember, along with Ishimaru-san, we're counting on some star-related trivia to share with us at lunch.

"R-right…," he glanced at the cell phone screen, which indicated that there were only 2 minutes left before the start of the class. "Have a nice class and see you at lunch," he smiled and walked down the hall. But before she could enter the locker room, she heard the programmer's voice again. "Be careful."

She replied with a gentle salute, which amused him, and then she closed the door behind her.

---

Fujisaki-san chose astronomy as an elective subject, which was certainly a surprise to many. Haruka, however, knew exactly what had driven him to make that choice.

Her roommate seemed interested in the science of celestial bodies from the very beginning of their acquaintance. Soon after, she found out the reason. His mother was an astronomer, and that's probably how he felt like he was a little closer to her. That's how he could have gotten to know her a little better.

He was particularly interested in stars. They had seen them from their window when they were visible, and at the end of the holidays they had the opportunity to do so from the terrace. The boy was very engaged and always told her something interesting about them, and she just loved listening to him. A relaxed and engaged programmer was one of her favorite sounds. Sometimes, most of their observations took place in a pleasant silence where they simply enjoyed each other's company.

The aforementioned topic was picked up by the moral compass during one of their lunch time, who, as a person always eager to acquire new knowledge, was also interested in some news from the field of astronomy. This is how it became a sort of rule that after every class, Fujisaki-san would bring them some interesting tidbit he had heard in class.

The programer taught her to enjoy the reality around her again with such small things and made her look forward to what the next day would bring. Thanks to him, she regained her long-forgotten will to live…

Chapter 30: Chapter 29

She was also the last one to leave dance classes. However, it wasn't just because of her long preparation, but also because of the fact that in any exam, she was always last due to alphabetical order. The advantage of this experience was primarily that no one wanted to watch her presentation anymore. Finishing class earlier was always more tempting for everyone than sitting until the end and watching the same routines that everyone practices together anyway. Additionally, when she returned to the locker room after class to change back into her uniform, there was usually no one there.

It was the same that day, except that when she left the locker room, she found her roommate waiting for her on the corridor near the door.

"Were you worried that I'd forgotten the way to the cafeteria over the summer?," she joked, and a smile appeared on her face, which was more due to his unexpected appearance than the joke itself, but he didn't have to know that.

"I-I mean… I finished my classes quickly and when I went to the cafeteria, no one was there yet…, so I decided to c-come by…," he explained, embarrassed but not enough to avoid eye contact.

His shy gaze was directed at her and practically remained on her throughout their entire lunch route, during which they talked about the book they had just read.

"I'm telling you, she'll be killed in the next part, leaving her alive doesn't make...," when they reached their destination, their discussion continued, although when the table they always ate at came into view, Haruka was so surprised that she stopped her statement in the middle.

They now looked at Ishimaru-san, who was already sitting in his seat with his tray, and next to him was no one else then Owada.

They looked at each other in shock.

"You see it too, don't you?," she asked, and then let out a laugh of surprise.

"Yes, Owada-san…," he confirmed, and she looked again at her classmates, who seemed to be having a very lively conversation.

"Owada fucking Mondo at our table," she continued, still disbelieving what she was seeing. "It will certainly be an interesting day…"

After they chose something to eat, they headed to the table where they were greeted by the delighted Ishimaru-san.

"Yoshida-san, Fujisaki-san, how nice of you to join us," he smiled from ear to ear, and his plate was surprisingly almost full. "Don’t you mind if my friend Mondo joins us for breakfast too today?"

"My friend Mondo? What the hell is going on?," she thought, then cast a suggestive glance at her roommate, who also seemed to be thoroughly confused by the moral compass's statement.

Barely two days ago, the red-eyed boy had been beaten into a pulp by someonehe now called a 'friend.'

"N-no, there's no problem," Fujisaki-san gave them a nervous smile, then put his tray on the table and pulled out a chair for her, even though she had told him many times not to do so in public. "R-right, Yoshida-san?"

"No there is not," she replied briefly, sitting down. 

She was now opposite Owada, who wasn't even looking at them. His gaze was fixed on his tray. Additionally, he looked like he felt at least uncomfortable. Although he didn't react negatively to the words of the moral compass, it was still strange that he didn't have a more enthusiastic approach to their new 'friednship'. The situation was extremely suspicious...

"Fantastic," Ishimaru-san concluded, then picked up his chopsticks. "Then we can proceed with the meal. "How was your classes?," he asked, then took the first bite of his curry.

Owada on the other hand, still didn't say a word and just ate the fish on his plate in silence.

"I haven't fallen off the stage this semester, so we can consider that a success," she said jokingly, referring to her series of falls that occurred in the past few months of learning. Her helplessness combined with her determination to do something she was not even able to do yet knew no bounds. "But there is still everything ahead of me. "

When she spoke, she noticed that she finally had caught the attention of the motorcyclist.

"You should be more careful about yourself...," Fujisaki-san gave her a meaningful look, and then transferred his chocolate pudding to her tray. "And eat more."

"Nutrition is very important, Yoshida-san," Ishimaru-san chimed in. "I see that you've got vegetables on your plate today, which makes me very happy. "

"Yes," she laughed. 'Someone...," she now looked at her roommate, who smiled innocently. "Took care of that," she finished, and then she took some of the rice with carrots they had mentioned.

"And you, Fujisaki-san?," the red-eyed boy turned now to the programmer, referring to the previous question. "Did you learn anything interesting in astronomy?"

"I learned that you can be up to 5 cm taller in space because of the lack of gravity, so there's still some hope for me," he explained with a hint of humor, though Haruka knew he was making unnecessary jab at himself.

"Very interesting, probably because in microgravity, the spine and other bones are not loaded as they are on Earth," added the moral compass.

"You realize you've grown taller over the summer, right?," Haruka said, not knowing how to respond to the "microgravity" Ishimaru-san mentioned, because she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Really?!" the boy beamed and almost dropped the stick with the seaweed.

"I didn't tell you that?," she asked, surprised. "You've grown at least a few centimeters since we met. Soon we'll be similar in height," she laughed, reaching for her first pudding to eat the taste of vegetables in her mouth, and Fujisaki-san began to watch her closely at that time.

"I didn't notice that before!," the programmer was very excited, and she could see sparks in his eyes. She involuntarily felt her mouth corners turn up.

"Growth depends primarily on genes, but if you Fujisaki-san want to be taller, I recommend a lot of protein, calcium, and magnesium," Ishimaru-san once again showed off his vast knowledge.

"From what I hear, protein is good for everything...The best thing to do is to shove cottage cheese in every repast and you already have a multi-value meal," she joked, to which the programmer loudly snorted with laughter. The statement was a reference to a meme they had seen recently.

"Cottage cheese is also rich in many mineral ingredients, so it would be suitable," commented moral compass, at what they started laughing even more.

The boy and Owada, whose presence at the table could be completely forgotten because he didn't say a word during their entire meeting, seemed a bit confused by their reaction.

"Sorry," Haruka who first calmed down, cleared her throat but her tone still had a hint of amusement. "I should work on my seriousness," she added, then returned to her pudding.

The fact that she liked to joke about many things, often making Fujisaki-san laugh, sometimes made it difficult for Ishimaru-san to have a serious conversation about, for example, purely educational matters.

"There's no need to apologize, laughter is good for you. It has a perfect effect on the immune system and relieves stress," he declared with a smile. "My kyodai and I certainly delivered a lot of endorphins to each other last weekend for that reason," Ishimaru-san now turned directly to Owada, who, although he hesitated at first, eventually returned the smile of his roommate.

"That's right Kyodai!," he laughed loudly, embracing the red-eyed boy in his arms.

How strange the sight was, the biker's interaction with the moral compass seemed to relax him significantly. Even after a moment of reflection, she couldn't remember ever seeing Owada so happy, but on the second thought she hadn't had much to do with him to observe such reactions.

"S-so now you're f-friends?," asked Fujisaki-san, who was afraid to ask this question sooner because of Owada's previous passivity.

Haruka was tempted to add a comment to the question about how someone could want to fuck someone up one day and then hug the next, but she decided not to interfere and not to unnecessarily thicken the atmosphere.

"Taka is like a brother to me now! We talked shit over, I said sorry for being such a jerk, and he accepted it like a cool gut that he definitely is," explained the gangster, tightening his grip on Ishimaru-san.

"Although he admitted his mistake...," she thought, still not entirely convinced.

"Brother, I'd rather you didn't use profanity, but I completely agree with you. I explained everything with Mondo, and it turned out that we have a lot in common!," he said, delighted.

"I'm very happy fot you two," the programmer's face lit up with a warm smile.

"I heard you were a good support for my kyodai," at first, Owada only addressed Fujisaki-san, but after a moment, his gaze settled on the actress for the first time this day and stayed there for a while. "Taka said you're all right, Yoshida, so I hope it's going to be cool between us now..."

Haruka initially didn't say anything and just looked at him rather coldly. Behavior of the boy did not indicate that he had insincere intentions or a hidden motive. His body language showed that he was ashamed of how he had treated her and Ishimaru-san over the past semester. However, some of his behaviors were even reprehensible in her opinion.

"As long as you don't be a dick and don't interfere in my business, you won't bother me," she replied honestly, toning down her gaze.

She may not have liked Owada and didn't think they would be on the same wavelength even with this strange change that had apparently occurred in him, but because of Ishimaru-san, who would finally be able to breathe a little and was already involved in a friendship with his roommate, and also Fujiskai-san, who didn't have a huge dislike for the gangster, she decided to remain neutral. As long as Owada doesn't piss her off, he can sit with them.

"Great!,"concluded Ishimaru-san."But I would also ask you, Yoshida-san, to use less vulgar language."

"I'm trying my best for you, Ishimaru-san," she smiled gently to appease the boy, then took the last spoonful of pudding into her mouth. After a moment, she felt that everyone at the table was staring only at her. "Why are you staring at me?" she asked, feeling at least a little strange.

"Y-you have a little chocolate on your face…, " Fujisaki-san replied shyly. Despite his agitation, she noticed a little smile on his face, and his tone had a hint of amusement. Haruka immediately reached for a napkin and wiped her face.

"Now is okey?," she turned more towards her roommate.

"N-no… more on the left," the boy pointed his finger at a spot near the corner of his left mouth.

The actress wiped the place with a napkin and gave him a questioning look, which he responded to with a quiet chuckle.

"C-can I…?," he asked, taking a new napkin.

Although she knew it was a bad idea, especially since they were in the cafeteria, she finally nodded hesitantly. In the end, she wiped his tears with a tissue more than once, and nothing terrible had happened. She couldn't be paranoid, right?

After receiving permission, the boy, now noticeably flushed, first raised the napkin to the level of her face with hesitation, and only after a moment again with hesitation gently placed it in the corner of her mouth.

It may have only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough for her heart to speed up and a shy smile to appear on her face. She wasn't sure about the blush. She fought at all costs to keep her face a uniform color, but it was certainly very difficult to do...

"Wow Yoshida, I didn't know you could do that," Owada suddenly said, and she had no idea what he was talking about.

"What can I do?," she asked, confused, turning her attention away from the programmer.

"You're always such a cold bi...," he stopped when Ishimaru-san looked at him meaningfully. "So serious," he corrected. "I didn't know you could make that face...," he replied, slightly embarrassed, scratching the back of his head. "If it weren't for the fact that you're girls, I'd think you're flirting or something..."

Haruka froze for a moment from nervousness and felt a wave of heat run through her entire body. She had no idea how to behave. Ishimaru-san never made a comment like that during their entire acquaintance, but Owada managed to say something like that during their first longer interaction.

She should be more cautious, because if her silly crush was able to notice even Owada, that means others around her can too. She should definitely remember that she is a damn actress and get her act together.

"F-flirt-ting...?!," Fujisaki-san panicked, his face now the color of a tomato. "N-no, n-no…," he nervously laughed, dropping the napkin still in his hand onto the floor.

Then it turned out that it could be even worse because fate wanted it that both of them had to jump to lift it up...

When their hands almost touched, she panicked due to the earlier comment from Owada and quickly raised her hand, knocking over her glass of juice, which spilled onto her tray, which still had some food on it.

"This is probably a sign that me and vegetables are not meant for each other," she joked, looking a bit resigned at her tray. "Isn't clumsiness also genetic Ishimaru-san?" she continued jokingly, as if nothing happend, while wiping up the spilled liquid.

"Theoretically, yes. Genes can predispose us to practically all traits," the moral compass did not fail her and answered her question, avoiding the previous topic.

"If you have super old ones, it sounds awsome," commented Owada. "It’s just a bummer that I didn’t get so fricking lucky..."

"Don't worry, Kyodai, we're not just made of our parents' traits, we acquire a lot throughout life," Ishimaru-san comforted him, patting him on the shoulder. "And you have a lot to offer."

"Aw Kyodai.... You'll also do a lot of great shit, you're so smart," the gangster returned the compliment.

"D-do you need h-help?," Fujisaki-san, who had definitely become subdued after the previous incident uddenly asked her. Their companions, on the other hand, were absorbed in further conversation and it seemed that they had completely stopped paying attention to her and the programmer, being occupied only with their own company.

"I'll manage," she replied, practically finishing the task at hand. "It's good that we didn't have a whole pitcher on the table, it would have been worse," she added, sending him a subtle smile, but she tried to avoid eye contact because she still hadn't fully recovered from what had happened...

"At least you got away with the vegetables," he commented, feigning indignation. The boy still seemed stressed, but it was clear that he was trying to ease the tension between them. "But don't think that I won't try again," he added more confidently, returning her earlier smile, which made her laugh.

"I don't doubt it, " she replied, finally gaining the courage to look at him.

That's how everything seemed to return to normal between them, or at least to another such situation...

---

Since then, Owada has become a regular at their table, and more importantly, he and Ishimaru-san seemed to be glued to each other whenever they could.

It made a big impression on the students of the academy, especially their class, who were just as surprised as she was by the sudden change in dynamics between the boys, and of course, there were also teasing remarks, especially from Kuwata towards the motorcyclist. However, he positively surprised the actress in this aspect and deflected the attacks, focusing primarily on defending moral compass, noting that if someone bothers him, he will deal with them.

Within just a few days, Haruka felt that their friendship had blossomed even more.

What's more, if she were to comment on their very intense 'relationship' now, she could quote Owada's words said to her and Fujisaki-san at the cafeteria, because sometimes their interactions were just a circle of mutual adoration and affection.

Although she knew from her own experience that it was best not to interfere. However, it was sometimes hard to bite her tongue, especially when the programmer sat down for lunch with Asahina and the other girls from their class, and she was left alone at the table with the aforementioned 'couple.'

Despite everything, after a few days spent in the company of Owada, it turned out that he wasn't so bad after all. He had a pretty good sense of humor and added a bit of freshness to the group, in which she sometimes felt much less sharp in the company of Ishimaru-san and Fujisaki-san. Of course, she didn't think the gangster had a limited intellect, but he was definitely less interested in learning, and his knowledge was much smaller than the two others, which made her feel a bit closer to him.

Additionally, even in terms of the conversations themselves, the fact that not only she now had uttered a curse word during a disscusion was something she was also pleased about. Of course, their number depended primarily on the vigilance of the moral compass.

Also it turned out that the gangster's participation in music classes was not as accidental as it may have seemed at first, and the boy had something up his sleeve that even earned him a great deal of respect. As she found out, in the past, Owada had something to do with a guitar, and although she had to pull him hard on this subject, it turned out that he could play something on it. She was only curious if his skills in this area exceeded her own abilities to play the instrument. It was definitely an issue she wanted to return in the conversation. 

In reality, the only problem for her was his excessive curiosity. Although the word 'excessive' might be an abuse of language here, because Owada might simply belong to the majority of the population in this regard. It was probably more a matter of the fact that both Ishimaru-san and Fujisaki-san had accustomed her to being more restrained in talking about herself and showing her emotions.

And what's definitely worth mentioning is that the gangster was a very emotional person. However, he showed this trait much more dynamically than the boys mentioned earlier, and here too he seemed more similar to her, but with the difference that in his case, there was definitely a greater lack of control over those emotions.

Still, after the addition of Owada, they formed a pretty decent group. She was always a loner, so this was certainly new for her, and although she didn't want to admit it, deep down she was really happy that she finally managed to get along with someone and find her place somewhere...

However, her acquaintance with Ishimaru-san and Owada unfortunately also made her aware of something else. The emotions she had for them were extremely different from the ones she had for Fujisaki-san, and it was really hard for her to treat him like the two mentioned, with whom in the end she officially had the same relationship as with her roommate...

Chapter 31: Chapter 30

"Are you even listening to us, Yoshida?" Owada suddenly turned to her with a slight reproach in his voice, interrupting Ishimaru-san's long speech about the basketball tactics he had recently read in a book, which he wanted to use in the upcoming physical education class, after lunch.

Haruka, as soon as she sat down at the table, focused mainly on writing in her notebook rather than actively participating in the conversation. However, this did not change the fact that she had divided attention, so her colleagues' conversation reached her ears quite well.

"Yes," she replied briefly, but didn't take her eyes off the notebook. "Ishimaru-san is talking about 'fast break'," she added, still not looking at him.

"What exactly are you writing in that notebook anyway?" the boy continued the conversation in a friendlier tone. She apparently convinced him by genuinely listening to their previous conversation.

"Yoshida-san writes her own music, my friend Mondo," jumped in with the answer moral compass. "I had the chance to listen to one of her compositions. I really liked it," Haruka smiled at his words and put the notebook aside for a moment, noticing her untouched rice bowl. She was so absorbed in her inspiration that she completely forgot about eating.

"Thank you, Ishimaru-san," she said, taking chopsticks to stir the now-cold meal. If Fujisaki-san had been sitting with them, he would have reminded her to eat long ago.

"That's awsome, why aren't ya bragging?," the motorcyclist took advantage of her momentary distraction and grabbed her notebook, which she unfortunately didn't manage to snatch from his hand. "Let's see what we had here," Haruka tried to reach for him again, but the boy sitting across slightly moved his chair to prevent her from doing so, then he opened the notebook on the page which she had just written on. Unfortunately, she left it marked by leaving a pen inside. 

"Owada have you ever heard of privacy and respect for other people's things?," Haruka got up from her chair and moved towards the gangster, still trying to keep her emotions in check, because she shouldn't forget that they were still in the cafeteria. "If don't, I'm sure that Ishimaru-san can define exactly what those words mean," she added sarcastically, standing in front of him and reaching for her notebook.

Owada did not give up at first. The gangster simply ignored her and tried to read the text on the paper. Though as she suspected, he had trouble reading it, and his English was so poor that even if he had managed to read at least something, he would not have understood anything.

"Mondo, I think you shouldn't take other people's things without asking," Ishimaru-san supported her.

"I don't understand shit form it anyway," after staring at the paper for while, he gave up and returned the item to her. "You shouldn't write nicely just because you're a girl??" he asked, with a hint of disdain.

"And you shouldn't know at least the basics of English by the age of 15?," she replied with an equally ironic smile.

"We're in Japan," he muttered, slightly taken aback. "You want to be so worldly that you write in English?"

"Why not?" she replied evasively, sitting back down in her seat. "Since you're so interested in my work, I can play something for you later, but leave my lyrics alone, okay?," she added, giving him a serious look at the end.

"You're so fucking strange sometimes...," he sighed. "I don't know how you put up with her, Fujisaki-san," then suddenly turning to the programmer who was heading towards their table.

"Huh?," he said, completely out of the loop.

"Unlike you Owada, she doesn't dig through my things," she conclude and then quickly ate the rest of her food.

When she finished, she stood up, grabbed her tray. "Shall we go?,"she asked her roommate, who had probably gone to the table to go to the locker room together before the PE class. He nodded affirmatively, still a bit taken aback by her discussion with the gangster. "See you in social studies, boys, have a nice PE," she said as she left with Fujisaki-san.

---

"I-is everything alright?," the programmer asked as they had already moved a bit away from the cafeteria.

"Yes, Owada just likes to ask a lot of questions, and then gets irritated when I don't answer them," she laughed. "It ended up that he took my notebook, but he couldn't read anything from it."

"He shouldn't be invading your privacy like that..," he said firmly, clearly upset by the incident. "Sorry, that…"

"Stop worrying," she interrupted, stopping both of them in the middle of the hallway. "The situation resolved itself, and you had nothing to do with it," she said, looking at him kindly and gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

In the last few days, it had become increasingly difficult for her to resist any of his touch. Even the smallest thing seemed to satisfy her in this regard.

When it came to him, she had the impression that it was easier to calm him down like that. Even now, she instantly noticed the difference in his facial expression.

"I-if that happens again, I-I'll definitely c-call him out on it," he declared with a slight blush, which immediately made her smile. It's sweet that he wanted to stand up for her.

When they reached the locker room, they had to wait a bit longer until the other girls finished changing, so that Fujisaki-san could enter.

Haruka immediately changed clothes after him. She did it more smoothly, so they decided that she would be the last one to do it. This strategy worked best and it meant that Fujisaki-san didn't have to spend half a day in sportswear under his uniform or run to their room to change clothes later.

---

The class typically started with some jogging and stretching. However, the teacher then declared that they should be paired, which always brought trouble for Haruka. It didn't happen often, as Okomoto-sensei usually focused on each individual, taking into account that everyone had a completely different level of physical ability. They only played team sports like basketball or volleyball and did warm-ups together

However, when such situations occurred, she usually managed to get out of it by claiming to have to go to the bathroom or by invoking her non-existent period. Although she only did this when the pairs were chosen by the teacher and the exercise required some physical contact. For example, when it came to passing the ball, it didn't really matter to her with who she will be paired with, no matter who it would be.

It's known that she would have preferred to be paired with Fujisaki-san, but he was usually taken by Asahina before she could properly react...

But to her surprise, this time the boy stood beside her immediately after the teacher's command and smiled gently.

"Partners?", he asked hesitantly with a shy smile.

"Partners," she replied, smiling back.

Their task was just to practice passing in basketball, so it didn't require any touching, which somewhat disappointed her, although she certainly didn't want to admit it.

However, she had a great time. Although such activities were not Fujisaki-san's strong suit, his attitude made up for all his shortcomings in basketball skills, and it seemed that in her company the boy also derived some joy from their game together.

"Thank you for your help, Yoshida-san," he replied as they were in the locker room. "Y-you're really good at this."

"I wouldn't say that, more average," she said, then took a few sips of water. The bottle helped her cover up the blush that had appeared on her face…

"You hit the basket practically every time," he continued in an enthusiastic tone, beaming with joy. The programmer was always happy with her successes, motivating her to continue.

"You also hit a lot of times later," she pointed out, wanting to remind him that he also had done a good job, and then she began to collect her things hung on the wall.

"It's all your doing…," he deflected the blame, as usual. "Y-you showed me h-how to properly p-position myself for a s-shot…," the memory made him turn red.

Actually, during the exercises, she decided to help him a little and showed him, for example, how he should hold the ball. This caused her to move a bit closer to him and gently touch his hands with hers…

Of course, this was only for purely educational purposes, and the fact that it caused her to have ‘some’ emotions was just a side effect...

"Maybe it's because you're a quick learner, huh?," she retorted teasingly, standing in front of him. Confidence was supposed to hide her agitation about the situation, but it typically backfired, because teasing him always ended in disaster as well. The worst part was that she often couldn't resist him, especially when he had that look on his face.

"I-I think you're the b-better t-teacher," he mumbled nervously, his gaze drifting to the floor.

She, in turn, reached for his chin without a second thought and lifted it gently up so that his gaze landed on her. His sweet eyes gazing at her sent shivers down her spine. At this point, she could have feared that she had become dependent on them...

"You're too modest," she concluded in a gentle tone, savoring his embarrassed expression for a moment longer. "I'll change in the bathroom, knock on the door when you're done," she added, and he just nodded in agreement. He stared at her with such devotion. She was convinced that no one else would ever be able to look at her in the same way.

She came to her senses in the bathroom, realizing that she was starting to play a very dangerous game...

But there was still one question left.

Where is the limit...?

---

I think the stars conspired against me, sent you to me, obviously to tempt me.

They want to seduce me with your sweet brown irises and your soft touch against my skin.

And the worst part is that I fear they will succeed, because I keep catching myself using you as I please.

She spent all of social studies writing, completely ignoring what was going on in class. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't even realize when the lesson ended.

It wasn't until she heard the voice of Owada coming from the end of the hall that snapped her out of her trance.

"Yoshida, don't poke along and get moving," the gangster standing by the exit door said, slightly irritated. Ishimaru-san stood right next to him, ready to leave as well. Meanwhile, Fujisaki-san, who was already packed, sat in the bench , waiting patiently for her, probably giving her some more time to write.

"You don't have to wait for me, Owada," she replied, closing her notebook. "I'm usually the last one to leave."

"We wanted you to join us on our way to the next class," the moral compass explained. "Furthermore, I want you to get to science on time!," he added firmly, but a broad, sincere smile appeared on his face.

She laughed lightly in response. She could guess that the boy had a hidden motive. He hated when she was late. However, she didn't hold it against him, because she knew he had no bad intentions. A bit of discipline wouldn't hurt her.

"Are you waiting for me too?," she asked Fujisaki-san, a bit surprised that he had once again kept her company that day and not left the classroom with the girls.

"Yes, but I wanted to let you finish," he said with a smile.

"Sweet as always," she thought.

"I don't know if that would have happened at all," she laughed, quickly gathering her things. "I got a little carried away, sorry," she added, directing her statement to everyone present, then stood up from her seat and joined her roommate and then the boys in the hallway.

"I can't wait to see what experiment we'll be conducting today," announced excited Ishimaru-san on the way to the lab. "The last one we did with solid carbon dioxide gave me a lot to think about"

"I don't remember us doing anything with coal... How exactly did it look like?," Owada asked, a bit confused. The motorcyclist, unlike his best friend, had a much weaker grasp of chemistry in this case, and apparently he equated carbon dioxide with coal as a raw material.

"Dry ice," Haruka and Fujisaki-san replied almost simultaneously.

"Ah, this one, it steamed fucking cool," understanding what they were talking about, he now addressed Ishimaru-san's statement.

"It's a really fascinating phenomenon, because the solid carbon dioxide goes directly from a solid to a gaseous state, without a liquid stage," the morla compass clarified.

"Bro, you're on the ball, I hope we do something fricking awsome together in class today," Owada put his arm around his roommate and smiled from ear to ear.

"Of course, kyodai, it's an honor to work with you," Ishimaru-san returned the smile and also put his arm around the boy. They now walked down the hallway in such a way and definitely caught the attention of the students passing by.

The actress and programmer exchanged only a few understanding glances, suggesting they were slightly amused by the scene. They communicated in this way more and more often during classes. It was something she considered 'their' thing.

---

In class, Fujisaki-san also became her partner. Of course, she didn’t complain about it, but it still seemed a bit strange to her that Asahina suddenly went so aside.

Their task was to conduct a chemical reaction of copper with nitric acid. It was neither difficult nor, to the disappointment of Owada, spectacular. The experiment went well, no one got into a fight or an argument during the class, so she thought that since it was their last subject, the day would end peacefully.

But of course she must have made a mistake. Right before the end of the science class, while cleaning up, Maizono found herself at their station because she volunteered to collect all the used vials from the tables. However when she picked up their glass, she 'accidentally' knocked over the bottle of nitric acid that was standing nearby.

Some of its contents spilled out and began to flow towards her roommate's fingers.

"Watch out!,"she quickly pulled his hand away, but she didn't manage to get her hand away in time and a bit of the liquid came into contact with her skin.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I completely missed that," the 'distressed' idol responded. "Is everything okay, Yoshida-san?"

Haruka looked at her hand, the skin where it had touched the preparation was slightly reddened and itched a bit, but the discomfort was minor.

"I'll live," she said nonchalantly, not wanting to give her classmate satisfaction. She couldn't be sure that she did it on purpose, but she had her suspicions, as the bottle wasn't even near the empty vials that the girl was supposed to collect. "Fujisaki-san, are you alright?," she focused on the programmer, hoping she had prevented his burns.

"Y-yes, b-but you're the one who was hurt! W-we have to go to the nurse, quickly!," the boy was clearly concerned. He quickly reported the incident to the teacher, gathered their belongings and went with her to the nurse's office.

"Fujisaki-san, you know I can carry my own bag?," she said, trying to keep up with him. The boy was so panicked that he was practically running. "I have one more hand, and the other has seen worse things," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't help, and her roommate remained nervous all the way to their destination.

---

The nurse's office was in the main building. However, she had no prior contact with it, and it could be said that she avoided it like the plague, even when she theoretically should have used from it.

When they entered the room, they saw a typical view of the room's purpose. In front of the door was a desk where the nurse received students, and next to it, a pair of cabinets and various types of medical equipment. On the right side, there was a fenced-off area with a dressing room, the sink and on the left, a pair of beds separated from each other by curtains.

Tsumiki Mikan, the Ultimate Nurse from class 77 B, was stationed in the room, practically in the corner, so at first, you might not have noticed her at all. Interestingly, however, they did not find the school nurse there.

"Um...C-can I h-help you...with something...?," the girl asked hesitantly, a bit scared. It looked like she wasn't the most daring person.

"Yoshida-san had nitric acid spilled on her hand, she needs urgent help…!," Fujisaki-san announced in one breath.

"A small amount of nitric acid," she corrected. "My skin is a bit itchy and a little red, I would be grateful if you could give me some advice on what to do next, Tsumiki-san," she explained specifically and calmly, not wanting to cause unnecessary panic. "And maybe reassure Fujisaki-san that they won't cut off my hand," she said with a laugh, directing a suggestive gaze towards her roommate.

"I-I'll get some water, we need to rinse the burn," the nurse announced and immediately went to the cabinet, taking out of it a bowl. "Please sit on the bed, Yoshida-san."

Haruka carried out the order and then looked at the programmer standing by the door, still a big bundle of nerves.

"Can she stay with me? I don't want her to faint in the hallway," she asked, pointing at her roommate.

"Y-yes, she can…," the girl replied, pouring fresh water into a previously prepared container.

Soon after, the girl brought a bowl of lukewarm water and told the actress to put her hand in it. Her skin was soaked for maybe 20 minutes. The whole time, Fujiskai-san sat beside her on the bed, and she leaned against him to calm him down a little. Tsumiki-san sat down at the desk and started digging around on the computer that was there.

"C-can I see what it looks like now?," after the mentioned time, the nurse approached them again.

"Yes," she agreed, turning her hand toward her. "I just wish you wouldn't touch me, if that's okay," she added as the girl's hands began to move closer.

"Y-yes... o-of course...," Tsumiki-san pulled back her hands and began to examine the burn, which looked even more delicate than before after contact with water. "The redness should fade within a few days, and there was no significant tissue damage," the girl had only stared at the skin for a few seconds, but it seemed she was certain of her diagnosis. After hearing the nurse’s words, her roommate finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You see? Everything is fine," the actress turned directly to the programmer. "I'll be able to give you a piano concert on the weekend," she smiled, giving him a light nudge.

"I'm glad it's nothing serious," the boy returned the smile, and a slight blush appeared on his face.

"W-we'd have to p-put some burn ointment on it now and p-put a sterile bandage...," the girl continued, less confidently than before.

"Is that necessary?," Haruka asked, clearly not happy that she wouldn't be able to avoid physical contact.

"I-I'm afraid y-yes... This way the wound will heal faster and won't be exposed to any abrasions...," she explained, and the actress quietly sighed.

"I-if you could bring us the necessary ointment and a clean bandage, I think we can handle this on our own," Fujisaki-san interjected, then turned a gentle smile towards her,

"I-if Yoshida-san so wishes… I-I'll bring everything needed r-right away," she replied and then left to purchase the necessary items.

"You're saving me," Haruka whispered in his ear, and he blushed.

"T-thanks to you, I don't have a burned hand...," he pointed, still a bit embarrassed and in the meantime, Tsumiki-san brought them ointment and a bandage. "I don't want you to put yourself in danger because of me..."

"The plan was to make sure no one got burned," she replied, sending him a gentle glance. "My reflexes just failed," she laughed, pointing her hand in his direction. "Can I ask you to do it?" she inquired, and his face showed surprise because she never wanted him to treat her wound from start to finish before. "You're doing this much better than I am," she smiled softly and handed him the ointment with her other hand.

"O-of course...," the boy took the medicine from her and squeezed some of the preparation onto his fingers. However, it was clear that he was hesitating.

"You can touch me," she assured him by lightly hooking her hand around his. "I trust you," she added when their gazes met again. They looked at each other tenderly, and for her, time seemed to stand still. After that, the boy finally began to treat her hand.

"Does it hurt?," he asked, carefully and gently applying the ointment.

"It's nice," she thought, her gaze wandering between his rosy cheeks and the slender fingers that touched her skin.

"No, just cold," she reassured him.

"That's even worse," he said with a hint of sarcasm, and she snorted with laughter.

"You bet," she said, causing his mouth to curve upward. "Good, you'll wrap it up, because otherwise my hand would freeze," she continued in a joking tone that at least accompanied them until they left the nurse's office.

Chapter 32: Chapter 31

"What's this?" she asked her roommate, surprised, noticing a small envelope on her desk that definitely wasn't there before she went to the bathroom.

"I-I won it in a-astronomy... ," he began nervously, which she already knew would foretell trouble. "We solved puzzles and the person with the most correct answers would receive a prize..."

"Still, that doesn't explain why it's on my desk," she laughed, still a little confused by his convoluted explanation. "I guess you want me to open it?" she asked, taking the envelope in her hand, and he just shyly nodded. Inside were two tickets to the planetarium.

" I-I thought maybe... you'd l-like to go with me?," he asked shyly, taking a small step in her direction. "S-since I already got two tickets, it would be a s-shame if the second one went to w-waste...," he added, taking another step forward. His tone was a bit more confident then before, but the blush on his cheeks still suggested that he was still embarrassed.

She looked at him uncertainly. Although the fact of going anywhere with him sounded great, moving around Tokyo was not.

"I-it's also not far from the botanical garden, so if we went to the planetarium we could also check it out...," he continued, noticing her confusion.

He had definitely prepared for this conversation and she was sure he had even more things up his sleeve to encourage her. That was probably why he had been so reluctant to inform her about his plans. It was Friday, and he had astronomy on Monday.

Despite the many warning signs that appeared in her head, it was hard to resist temptation.

"How far is it from here?," she asked, still hesitating.

"Not far... j-just two bus stops...," he said, and she calmed down a bit.

She began to stare at the pair of tickets in her hands. She has not left the academy walls since her arrival. Despite her fears, she had a gentle need to see a bit of the outside world, to do something different. Tokyo had so much to offer...

"When?," she asked, returning her gaze to the programmer, whom she had previously tried not to look at too much, fearing that she might make a hasty decision under the influence of emotions.

"H-huh?!," the boy clearly didn't expect her to agree so quickly.

"I asked when you would take me to that planetarium?," she repeated, her tone slightly teasing. This time she shortened the distance between them, making them face each other. Her gaze perfectly complemented the speech. It was a mix of excitement, amusement, and curiosity.

"M-maybe… tomorrow?," he was looking at her with adoration. Despite his nervousness, his brown irises effortlessly pierced her from the inside, and the blush on his cheeks and slightly parted lips made her knees went weak.

"So we're set," she smiled broadly, and he immediately returned the gesture. "Next time, you can just ask me straight out," she added, pulling back slightly. "You don't always have to make a big secret out of everything," she laughed, then sat down at her desk, where she realized that she had unconsciously suggested that it would be 'next time'. Wanting to cover up her embarrassment, she decided to look at the tickets again.

"Okey!," he declared motivated, and his face now also showed excitement.

---

The road was actually not long, and the bus ride provided her with an additional attraction, as she had never had the chance to experience it before.

As a child, whenever she moved somewhere, which was rare anyway, she always went by car. In turn after her escape, she limited herself only to trains, trying to walk as much as possible, not wanting to risk being recognized.

Fujisaki-san let her take the seat by the window so she could admire the surroundings. The academy was located in the suburbs of Tokyo. It was a greener part of the city, dominated by parks.

The boy of course sat next to her, and because the seats were quite narrow, they were touching each others shoulders all the way...

During the short trip, they didn't exchange a single word, but they certainly exchanged a few glances and smiles. She felt absolutely fantastic, and the meeting itself felt like a…

"It's not a date," she reassured herself in her thoughts, trying to tone down her emotions, which were bubbling up inside her.

Fortunately, her roommate was not the only object of her interest at the meeting, because the planetarium tour itself turned out to be a very interesting experience. The exhibits there were really meticulously prepared and made it possible for her to expand her knowledge of astronomy and cosmology in a very accessible way. Among other things, she learned more about dark matter, Earth itself, and space travel. Additionally, she witnessed a night sky show that depicted the movements of stars, planets, and other celestial objects.

In summary, the trip was very successful, and Fujisaki-san's satisfaction throughout the entire trip made the experience even more enjoyable for her. The programmer was constantly excited and interested in the exhibits they were viewing, which was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen in her life. Additionally, she was warmed by the fact that he wanted to come here with her.

---

After using the tickets to the planetarium, they went to the botanical garden, which was located just a few meters away, as previously agreed.

He and Yoshida-san had been walking for some time through the alleys filled with various types of plants, but he found it hard to focus on them, because his eyes kept falling on his roommate, who among all those flowers made the biggest impression on him...

The girl, in addition to looking lovely in a dark blue dress that was also pulled out of his wardrobe, turned out to be the perfect companion for this type of outing.

It wasn’t that he thought it would be different.

The actress always knew when to strike up a conversation and when to leave them in pleasant silence. She didn't make fun of his excessive excitement and gave him a sense of great freedom.

Additionally, during their outing, he noticed another positive trait in her personality. She certainly had excellent manners and knew how to behave wherever they were. She was kind to everyone and respected other people's work. She was also, of course, a great listener and observer. She also impressed him with her brilliance, noticing even the smallest details in the planetarium.

Chihiro had never thought that intelligence and the ability to behave properly would be so attractive…

"It's a bit disappointing that sound waves can't travel in space," she said with a hint of disappointment.

"In the vacuum of space, there is no medium that would carry sound waves, but astronauts can use audio and communication systems to listen to music and talk."

"Maybe, but it's not the same," she explained, still looking around. Unlike him, she had a more divided attention and focused on both the conversation and enjoying the view around them. It was clear that the girl really liked the garden.

"I don’t think I could function on a daily basis without singing," she laughed, which immediately put a smile on his face.

Her laughter and natural smile were truly extraordinary. As for her singing, if he were to think more deeply, he probably couldn’t have lasted long without her beautiful voice either…

"I-I think... it would be a real waste if you couldn't use such a great voice... ," he sent her a compliment that probably embarrassed him more than her.

He really liked to say nice things to Yoshida-san, especially if there was even a slight chance that he might see her embarrassed expression. However, most often the only person who showed signs of that was him...

"Fortunately, we're not in space," she concluded with a broad smile. "And in the future, it is also unlikely that I will go there."

"I think I'd rather stay on earth too, " he agreed.

As they walked down another aisle, Yoshida-san suddenly stopped at a flower arrangement and knelt down to take a closer look at the plants, while he noticed something that could ruin his perfect day...

---

"Fujisaki-san, you have to see this lovely camellia," she exclaimed enthusiastically at her roommate, but he seemed not to hear her. "Fujisaki-san…," she said again after a moment, but the boy still didn't flinch and continued to stand in the middle of the path, staring straight ahead.

When she returned to him with full attention, she noticed that the programmer had turned pale, and his expression indicated considerable concern.

Haruka quickly moved in his direction. When she was next to him, she turned her gaze in the same direction as he was to see what was the cause of his sudden change in behavior.

Near them, she noticed a group of teenagers, probably around the same age as them, three boys and one girl. They didn't look particularly out of the ordinary, but rather like a group of friends who seemed to be having a good time, judging by the laughter that could be heard from them. 

"What's going on?," she asked, standing in front of him to finally get his attention, thus blocking his view, which was clearly causing him stress.

"T-this b-boy i-in this c-cap…," his voice was shaking and his eyes were all glassy. "H-he… knows me… from… from elementary s-school…," he looked like he was about to faint.

The girl looked again at the group in front of them and especially the boy in the cap. Although they were relatively close to them, nothing indicated that they were paying any special attention to her and Fujisaki-san.

He didn't have to add anything else, because the actress had heard enough from him to understand the problem. The boy in front of them knew him before the programmer started dressing up as a girl, so if he somehow recognized him, it wouldn't be pretty.

"Calm down, everything will be fine," Haruka turned to her roommate again and gently grabbed both of his shoulders, trying to calm him down a bit. After a moment, the boy seemed to look a little less white.

Panic won't help them, and nothing is lost yet. Especially since after that long time the probability that the boy would recognize him, especially when he was dressed up, was very low. Although if they stay in the middle of the path, they will certainly not work in their favor. "Can you give me your hand?" she asked after a moment of thought, and his panicked expression turned to one of surprise.

The stunned boy nodded after a moment in agreement, which allowed her to continue. Practically right after that, Haruka grabbed his hand, placing him on her right side, the side farther from the previously mentioned group, and then began to pull him gently to walk with her.

"Y-yoshida-san, I-I don't know if this is a good…," the programmer didn't move and started to get agitated again.

"Trust me, " she smiled sweetly at him and pulled his hand again. "Focus on me and don't pay attention to anything else, okay," she added, gently squeezing their hands to give him courage, which finally convinced him, because he nodded again and then moved forward with her.

"So you're saying you have a projector at home," she began the new conversation as if nothing was happeing.

"Y-yes…," he stammered in response, but his eyes kept circling the unwanted acquaintance, who was getting much closer.

To prevent him from catching the eye contact with the boy in the cup, the actress grabbed her companion's chin with her free hand and looked him straight in the eye, which made him finally focus his full attention on her. The boy turned bright red from this gesture.

"So you can watch the stars from your room at night... That sounds really great...," she confessed, taking her hand from his face. However, their gazes still remained on each other, so her plan definitely did not fail.

"I-I can show you... I-if you would go home with m-me for the h-holidays... ," Fujisaki-san took the opportunity and mentioned her earlier invitation to him during the winter break.

"Maybe…, " she replied in a slightly teasing tone, not wanting to give a definitive answer just yet.

However, she had to admit that the more time passed, the more she was convinced to finally accept the invitation.

Later, Haruka brought up the subject of the camellias she had admired earlier, and it went on for so long that they had long since passed the boy in the cup and his group, and Fujisaki-san had probably even not noticed.

"If you didn't notice, we passed them," she finally decided to mention when she was sure they were far behind the group. "You're safe."

"We did...," the boy looked around. "Thank you, Yoshida-san, without you I…!," the programmer began to express his immense satisfaction, but something clearly distracted him during his speech, as he stopped in the middle.

He immediately turned red, and his eyes were fixed on their hands, which were still clasped together for a good couple of minutes after it was no longer necessary.

The actress had actually gotten used to the comfortable intertwining of their hands and completely forgot that she should have let go some time ago. When she realized this, a blush appeared on her face too.

"Oh, s-sorry…," she immediately let go of his hand, cursing herself in her head for stuttering in her speech. "I completely forgot about that in this chaos," she added with a gentle smile directed at him, now more calm.

"T-that's o-okey," he stammered nervously, glancing around to avoid her gaze. "I-it didn't b-bother me...," he continued, still all emotional.

"So the plan worked out well, and it's good that its execution wasn't... uncomfortable for both of us... ," she concluded, also looking around the space as she tried to hide her blush and stabilize her emotions.

After a while, they managed to calm down. The rest of their tour of the garden passed off quite peacefully.

However, she suspected that the feeling of emptiness in her hand would stay with her for a long time…

---

"I have some scientific magazines that might interest you," Ishimaru-san announced, and quickly headed for the drawer of his desk in search of the mentioned newspapers.

The next day, she and Fujisaki-san were invited to what Ishimaru-san called a 'bonding experience' at his and Owada's room, which she suspected was just a 'friendly' meeting.

"Where do you get all this from?," she laughed as the stack of magazines landed on her lap.

She and the programmer sat on moral compass' bed. The gangster in turn was near them on the floor, and Ishimaru-san was always moving around the room, searching for something new.

"I've been collecting them for years as important sources of my knowledge," the red-eyed boy said proudly.

"A sizable collection," Fujisaki-san smiled as he took one of the magazines from her lap. "Isn't it too heavy for you?," the boy said to her now.

"Nope," she replied with conviction, then took another magazine from the stack and handed it to Owada.

"Thanks," the biker said briefly, then opened the reading she had given him.

At the same time, she reached for a magazine and started reading it. The one she landed on described dolphins in a meticulous manner.

"Let's play a game," she suddenly said, wanting to mix things up a bit. "The person who finds the most outrageous information wins."

"Hell yea, what's at stake?," her idea appealed to Owada.

"Hmm…," the actress began to wonder what the prize might be.

"Maybe the person who wins will decide what our next bonding experience will be. Person will chose a location and the activity we would do," Ishimaru-san proposed.

"Cool idea, bro, I'm in," declared the gangster, then high-fived his roommate.

"Fine by me," she agreed to the terms of the bet, putting the unused magazines aside, so it would be easier for her to search and no one would suspect that she was cheating. "Fujisaki-san?," she looked at the programmer, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"I like it," the boy smiled broadly.

They had 10 minutes to find something interesting in the selected magazines.

When the time was up, each of them began to share their discovery.

"The speed of a nerve impulse in the brain is 400 km/h," the moral compass proudly recited from memory.

"That's wild! It's faster than even my motorcycle," Owada exclaimed excitedly.

"Actually, our body is one big sensor, and this speed ensures it works as efficiently as possible," Fujisaki-san noted. "Very interesting choice, Ishimaru-san."

"Kyodai always knows what's the best," the biker concluded. "Give us what you have, Yoshida."

"Dolphins communicate using a wide range of sounds, and each has a unique whistle for identification," Haruka, unlike Ishimaru-san, read the selected passage.

"A whistle?" Owada asked.

"Yup, that's the set of sounds they learn in childhood," she explained. "In terms of speed they can also sing over thousands of kilometers."

"Dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals after humans, precisely because of their ability to communicate with each other, it's very nice that you mentioned that, Yoshida-san, "added the moral compass.

"Can they talk?! Shit that's awsome!," the gangster drew far-reaching conclusions.

"Ishimaru-san has in mind communication through sounds that Yoshida-san mentioned," the programmer corrected. "I heard they're very emotional too," he added after a moment.

"Phew...that's not so impressive," Owada stated, to which Haruka just rolled her eyes. "Now I will show ya how it's done. The most popular cars in the world are white."

"It's really...fascinating," the actress said in a feigned serious tone, after which Fujisaki-san immediately started to chuckle.

"Probably because it's a universal color and has good light-reflecting properties," the red-eyed one expressed his observation, "Great job, Kyodai!," the roommate praised and gave each other a high-five once again that evening.

"Volcanoes contribute to more beautiful sunsets because during eruptions, elements of volcanic dust disperse sunlight," after a while Fujisaki-san glanced at his magazine and when he finished reading, smiled slightly, and his gaze settled on her.

The information definitely referred to their shared observations of, among other things, sunsets.

Haruka, after hearing the interesting fact combined with his tender gaze, felt as if she was about to melt from the emotions. Even in such a stupid game, he was the best for her...

"I must admit that I had forgotten about the existence of such a phenomenon. Thank you, Fujisaki-san, for reminding me. I will have to delve into this topic again," said the moral compass, whose voice was still in the background for her, because her attention was still focused on her roommate, whose cheeks now flushed because of their prolonged eye contact.

"I'd like to see a volcanic eruption one day," Owada said after a moment.

"I think that's quite dangerous," Fujisaki-san informed him, breaking eye contact with her to her displeasure.

"Ha, I did more crazy shit then this!," the gangster waved his hand.

Then each of them had to give the other three points from 1-3, but they couldn't repeat them.

"Ishimaru-san, I'm sorry, but sunsets are amazing and touched my heart more than brain-work, but you were still closer than Owada," she laughed, presenting her unsurprising results, trying not to blush as hard as she could.

"You don't know what you're talking about," the biker said. " For me, of course, it's Taka 3 points, Fujisaki-san 2, and Yoshida 1. "

"I'll try not to get discouraged," the actress replied ironically. "Fujisaki-san?"

"The brain works a bit like a more complicated computer, so I decided to give Ishimaru-san 3 points, he smiled at the moral compass. "2 points for Yoshida-san and I-I'm very sorry Owada-san, but I-I also gave you 1 point...," the programmer added in a nervous tone after a moment of hesitation.

"Don't worry, kid, everything's fine," Owada calmed him. "Kyodai now you decide who wins."

"Because I was surprised by Fujisaki-san's trivia, I awarded her 3 points, then 2 points for Yoshida-san for her very important reminder about such interesting animal species, and 1 point for my dear friend Mondo for his very valuable observation in the automotive category, " Ishimaru-san issued the verdict, patting the result-beaten Owada.

"I'll get my revenge," the motivated gangster announced. "So who won?"

"From what I see...," Fujisaki-san began, looking at the results.

"We have a tie," Haruka finished for him. "You and Ishimaru-san need to figure something out," she said, sending the programmer a gentle smile.

"Ishimaru-san, didn't you ever mention that you like karaoke?," Fujisaki-san asked without much thought, glancing slightly at the actress, who chuckled involuntarily.

"Yes, but I never had the chance to do that activity because I didn't have any companions," he replied, slightly embarrassed.

"So I think I know what our next bonding experience will look like," the programmer said, very pleased with himself.

Chapter 33: Chapter 32

In front of her was huge oak door. She was standing right next to her father's office, which had always been the only room in the house that she was not allowed to enter.

Always whenever she passed it while walking down the hallway, it caused her some kind of unease b ut after last night and the fact that the man had ordered her to come to a place that was previously inaccessible to her, it now caused her terror...

She knocked twice on the wooden entrance and then pulled the door handle. Upon opening, she saw a room with dark blue walls and oak furniture, which were probably chosen to match the door that opened the study. The room was very dark due to the heavy black curtains and the small amount of light. In the center was a desk behind which was none other than Saito Okada.

The man didn't look at her, and despite being convinced that he had noticed her intrusion, she assumed his action was intentional. After her mother's death, he devoted even less attention to her than before, which some might even consider a kind of achievement...

"F-father, you called for me...," she decided to speak up first, despite her fear.

"Sit down, Haru," he replied firmly, still not looking up from the stack of papers on the desk.

After hearing his words, Haruka involuntarily began to shake, his tone rekindling the emotions from the previous day that she had tried so hard to suppress. If she hadn't been wide awake all night, she might have thought it was just a nightmare in the morning.

The girl obediently did as her father told her and sat down in the chair across from him.

"Maybe he wants to apologize to me," she thought as she waited for the man to take the initiative.

They remained silent for a long time, and the longer she stayed in the office, the more she felt her vocal cords tightening, and even if she wanted to, she didn't think she'd be able to start the conversation again.

"He'll probably say it was a huge mistake and it will never happen again," she continued thinking. "He was drunk and didn't think logically. I'm his daughter, he certainly doesn't want to…”

Her father suddenly threw a blister of pills right under her nose.

"You'll take them every day from now on," he said, still unmoved.

"…hurt me...," she involuntarily finished her thought.

"Additionally, a doctor will come in the evening and examine you thoroughly," he continued, and she became even more confused. His words were completely incomprehensible to her. "He will check your… health from time to time," his eyes never even landed on her for a second.

He spoke in a flat tone, almost like an automaton."I also told Taro-san to cut your hair. You'll be more comfortable with shorter hair like your mother," suddenly a stream of tears began to flow down her cheeks. She didn’t even realize when she started to cry. "That’s all, you can leave now."

"F-father, p-please…," she gathered all her strength to try to have a normal conversation with him. She expected at least some explanation.

"No discussion, Haru!," the man shouted angrily, jumping up from his chair, but one thing remained unchanged. He stared at the floor.

She just wondered if it was about shame or the fact that he didn't care about her at all.

Then, everything typically started spinning, and she was already on the bed, lying on her stomach. This time she didn’t have the strength to scream or struggle anymore. She hid her head in the pillow and sobbed quietly, waiting for it to finally end…

---

Yoshida-san suddenly jumped out of bed, and Chihiro knew exactly what had happened.

The girl had been dozing off for at least 3 hours and he was going to wake her up relatively soon because evening was approaching, which meant it was time for their shift change. She was to get up, and he was to lie down.

Before he could get up from the computer, the actress was already sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. She was all shaken up and crying.

Although this time she didn’t wake up screaming, it was clear that the girl was obviously scared by another nightmare that had haunted her.

The programmer, having experienced many attacks from his roommate, had already developed a plan of action. He always approached her slowly, holding his hands out in front of him so that she could see them clearly. It was his priority not to scare her even more. Additionally, before he approached her, he reached for the rubber note that she had received from him some time ago. The girl kept it under her pillow during sleep, and in her pocket during the day.

"I-I'm sorry...," as soon as he knelt down beside her and handed her the collected item, Yoshida-san immediately began apologizing.

Her voice was soft and shaky, and her gaze was fixed on the ground. She immediately began to squeeze the object in her right hand.

"You don't have to apologize," Chihiro replied gently, sending her a warm smile, and when she finally looked up from the floor, he gave her a tender gaze.

Her eyes were all watery and puffy. Initially, her gaze had a lot of sadness and shame in it, but after a longer moment of eye contact, he felt that she slightly reciprocated his affection.

"You're safe here," he assured her, and she began to look around the room. It was very typical behavior for her. The programmer assumed that Yoshida-san wanted to make sure where exactly she was at the moment. "With me...", he added shyly, blushing slightly as her gaze returned to him.

The girl seemed to have calmed down a bit. Her face had regained its color and was no longer pale, also only a single drop of tears was falling from her eyes now. "I promise no one will hurt you," he said instinctively, reaching out to wipe her tears, as she usually did when he cried, but he stopped halfway, remembering that he shouldn't touch her without permission, especially not at that moment. However, the actress unexpectedly guessed what he was going to do, grabbed his hand in the air with her free hand, and gently moved it towards her cheek, leaving it in a tight grip with hers.

Initially, he was so surprised that he practically didn't flinch, but after a moment when he noticed the girl's confusion, who was probably worried that she had done something wrong, he moved their hands in such a way that he wiped off a large part of the tears on her cheeks and around her eyes, and then sent her a tender smile again, only this time a bit more embarrassed. Yoshida-san returned the gesture, and then he lower their intertwined hands so that they now rested on her knee.

They sat like that in silence for a moment, Chihiro looking uncertainly at their hands, and she looking uncertainly at him.

"I'm sorry... I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable," she said suddenly, embarrassed, wanting to withdraw her hand from the grip.

"N-no, no," he restrained her by clasping their hands more tightly. "W-we can stay like this… if it d-doesn’t b-bother you of course…," he added, extremely embarrassed and excited at the same time. His heart was pounding wildly, and his cheeks were probably as red as they could get. "I like this… "

"You think I would take your hand if it bothered me...," she said slightly mischievously, briefly turning her head away. When her face was back in his line of sight, he noticed that her cheeks had flushed slightly and the corners of her mouth had lifted a little.

"The floor is cold," she said after a moment, and he chuckled. It looked like Yoshida-san was slowly returning to normal, which made him extremely happy.

He hated it when the actress suffered...

"I-if you want, we can sit on my bed," he offered shyly, to which she smiled slightly and gave him a somewhat mysterious look, then got up from the floor, pulling him towards the mentioned place.

The boy was still a little overwhelmed by the fact that they were holding hands. It was only their second time, after all. However, Chihiro was convinced that the next time he would feel more confident and would be able to focus on the feelings that accompany him a bit more than now when he was much more stressed. If, of course, Yoshida-san ever wants to do something like that again…

He has had his hand held by another girl more than once, because since he started dressing as a female, he found out that it is a very popular practice among friends. He was still a bit taken aback when something like that happened, but even here in Hopes Peak, Aoi-san had the habit of pulling him somewhere with that gesture, so he had gotten used to it a bit.

However, he had never experienced anything like what he had the opportunity to do so with his roommate...

When she held his hand, he felt as if tiny sparks were passing through him. Even if it was the same touch as with others, it had a much more intimate and emotional character for him.

They sat on the bed, leaning against the wall, which was covered with a pile of pillows. Yoshida-san gently lowered her head onto his shoulder, still holding their hands in a gentle intertwine. He felt so good in this position that he could even die.

"Thank you, I couldn't have done it without you," the girl said after they sat in silence for a while. Her head was still on his shoulder, but the actress turned it so that her eyes gazed at him with a gentle, enchanting expression.

"Me too...," he blurted out emotionally, causing her to blush and look away again. "W-we're in the end forming a pretty g-good t-team... when it comes to s-sharing a r-room," he mumbled, correcting himself with complete embarrassment.

"Yes, that's true," she whispered with a laugh.

When he glanced at her again, he noticed that the girl had her eyes closed and there was no trace of embarrassment left. Her phenomenal abilities in this area will never cease to amaze him. He wondered if her heart was beating as strongly as his at some point today, and if so, if she could stop it with such ease too...

After a longer time and continued observation of his roommate, Chihiro noticed that she was becoming more and more relaxed, and her body language suggested that she was about to fall asleep again.

Initially, he wanted to ask if she wanted to change their position to lying down, but in the end, fearing that she would refuse, he decided to simply wait until the actress fell asleep and move them to the mentioned position himself later.

He didn’t have to wait long for it to happen. After they were rearranged, he also fell asleep very quickly.

As he said before, they were always a well-functioning team... this time holding hands all night...

---

Haruka woke up before her alarm. This was probably due to the number of hours of sleep she managed to get the previous day.

As soon as she opened her eyes, a slight dizziness appeared in her head. It wasn't until a moment later that her brain started to put her memories together, reminding her exactly what led to this... very pleasant position she was currently in, although she definitely shouldn't be.

As usual, Fujisaki-san took great care of her after her panic attack, providing her with a lot of understanding and comfort.

Moreover, this time he even managed to calm her down well enough that she fell back asleep for the whole night... in his company...

She, in turn, went… too far…

It's not the first time the actress, under the influence of excessive emotions caused by a nightmare, has behaved a bit too tenderly towards the programmer, but last night she probably surpassed herself. She automatically grabbed his hand at first, and when he said he didn't mind their hands remaining intertwined, she gladly agreed and hasn't let go until...

Now...

She was ashamed of her excessive boldness before herself, but also before him…

Not to mention that they still perpetuated this stupid narrative about being just roommates.

What the hell else would she have to do for him to finally ask her if she was crazy?

Of course, instead of getting out of bed right away, she decided as she always did to lean against her roommate and watch his sleeping form for a good 11 minutes more. Not to mention that she still hadn't let go of his hand…

"Damn it…!" she yelled out in frustration in her head.

After a while, she threw one last glance at her 'roommate' and finally left the bed. She then grabbed the sweater hanging on the chair, put on her shoes, and quickly headed towards the kitchen. She decided that she wanted to be useful and made breakfast for them before the classes started.

"Maybe I can at least apologize like that for the circus I put on yesterday...," she thought, then opened the fridge and started thinking about what she could make.

---

When she returned, Fujisaki-san was already awake, but he must have woken up recently because he hadn't had a chance to get to the computer yet and was still in bed.

"Good morning," she greeted him, holding two plates with omelets she had prepared with care. "Are you hungry?," she asked, putting the dishes on her desk and then adding a chair that was on his side of the room.

"G-good morning," the boy replied after a moment, sounding slightly disoriented. "Y-you didn't have to make breakfast...," he added with a slight embarrassment.

"I slept well, so I had the energy to do something useful," she smiled, and he blushed. "You don't have to eat if you don't want to...," she retorted teasingly, which immediately caused the programmer to jump out of bed, at which she giggled softly.

"N-no…!," he protested. "I-I'd love to. Thank you," he finally said, returning her earlier smile, and then quickly went into the bathroom.

When he returned, they sat down to eat together.

Because they both woke up quickly, they had quite a bit of time before the classes started. This would allow them to eat without the rush that usually accompanies at least her.

"Did you wake up a long time ago?," he asked before taking the first bite. The boy was probably wondering if she had slept through the whole night.

"Recently," she replied briefly. "I woke up maybe an hour before you," she sent him a subtle suggestive glance before taking a bite of the egg pancake. "Not bad," she thought as she chewed.

"That's good," he smiled broadly, and a significant relief was visible on his face. "As usual, delicious, thank you again," he added, still smiling after trying his omelet, and she chuckled slightly, not expecting any other response from him.

"I'm glad you like it...," she said, taking another bite herself.

For a moment, they ate in silence. For Fujisaki-san, it was probably comfortable, not different from their typical time spent together, but Haruka still felt ashamed about the previous evening...

She wondered whether to even bring it up until the very end. It was usually better for them to pretend that the situation had not occurred or that it was not significant. However, this time her guilt was so nagging that she couldn’t just let it go...

"I'm sorry... about yesterday...," she began hesitantly, her gaze fixed on the plate. "I was a real mess..."

She surprised him by bringing up the subject, because after hearing her words, he dropped one of the chopsticks he was holding.

"You shouldn't apologize for your emotions," he replied calmly. "I'm always glad to be able to help you in these difficult moments...," his voice was gentle and understanding, just like yesterday. "I don't want you to apologize for that."

His patience and understanding immediately struck a chord in her heart, giving her a bit more courage than she had before.

"It's PTSD," she finally said, turning away from him after a moment. "You never asked, which means a lot to me, so I think you should at least know that," she added, gathering enough courage to look at him again. "Know at least that much for now," she added in her mind. When their eyes met, she saw a mixture of surprise and compassion in them.

"You're intelligent, so I suspect you were well aware that these weren't just ordinary nightmares anyway," her words were followed by nervous laughter and then a single tear of deep-seated shame appeared on her cheek, which she couldn't even hide from him. For the first time, she let someone in on the secret and wasn't even sure how she felt about it.

The programmer leaned in after her reaction, then gently wiped her wet cheek with his hand.

"Thank you for your trust," he said softly, and her cheeks flushed noticeably. "I promise I won't disappoint you," he declared, not taking his eyes off her for a moment, making her feel dominated by him.

He made her completely forget the sermon she had given herself that morning about crossing the line...

She wondered where he had suddenly gotten all that confidence and courage from... Had her encouragement from yesterday had such an effect on him?

Before she could turn around, the boy backed away from her, gave her a gentle smile, and returned to his meal. This behavior made her realize that Fujisaki-san never teased her at such moments, never taking advantage of her great emotional vulnerability at such times. He gained her favor once again.

Haruka returned the smile and also turned her attention back to her omelette. The rest of the breakfast was eaten in a pleasant atmosphere.

After she confided in him, she definitely felt much better.

Chapter 34: Chapter 33

They had been sitting with their noses in their math books for an hour, solving a series of problems their teacher had assigned them that day.

Although the equations were not the most boring and difficult in the section they were discussing, doing 20 problems was certainly extremely monotonous.

When she finally managed to get through all of them, she breathed a sigh of relief. Now all that's left is to check the results with Fujisaki-san, and she'll be able to forget about math for a while.

From her observations, it appeared that the programmer was still checking something in his calculations.

The boy was definitely better at science than she was, which meant he also calculated faster, yet often he finished later because he did everything much more accurately, checking a couple of times to make sure everything was correct.

Typically, not wanting to rush him, she patiently decided to wait until her roommate was ready. Her waiting for him usually involved making doodles in the back of her notebook and…subtly observing…the surroundings.

The boy always made a very distinctive facial expression when he was focused, which she just liked to... look at sometimes.

His eyebrows were slightly raised, his lips were pursed, and his forehead was a little bit wrinkled. As he leaned forward, his fringe fell gently over his eyes, which he occasionally adjusted.

Many would say that it wasn't a particularly special sight, but for her, there was something about it that just drew her in.

"Did you finish?," the programmer suddenly looked up from his notebook and turned his eyes on her, which completely caught her off guard. She managed to turn her gaze away at the very last second so as not to be caught staring at him the whole time.

"Yup," she said as if nothing happened. "I hope everything is correct and I won't have to go back to this again…," she added, turning the pages of her notebook.

"I hope you didn't have to wait long," he replied in a slightly worried tone, and in the meantime she handed him her notebook to check if her answers matched his.

"Even if I had to wait 2 hours, it's still not your fault. You have the right to do everything at your own pace," she reminded him. "But no, I didn't wait long," she decided to add after a moment to calm him down to which, unsurprisingly, he smiled broadly, giving her heart a bit more warmth.

"Here should be 9," he announced after verification, placing the notebook within her line of sight and then pointing to the spot where he thought the mistake was.

The girl leaned over the paper, unintentionally moving closer to her roommate, and looked at her equation: x+3y=9.

"And it's 9," she said, looking up from the paper to look at him. When she did, she realized how close they were to each other. The boy immediately blushed and then looked back at her notebook.

Of course, none of them moved even an inch, still remaining at the same distance...

"Oh, it really is," he said after a longer look. "I'm sorry but it looks a bit like a 5," he added with a slight jab, and she laughed and leaned over her notebook again.

"It's very possible," she agreed, still slightly amused. "Do you think she'll care?"

"Handa-sensei? I don't know, but sometimes she is...," the boy paused, probably to find the right word for their peculiar math teacher.

"A bitch," Haruka decided to help him out.

"I wanted to say meticulous...," he threw her a suggestive glance, but the girl sensed that he was slightly amused.

Although he himself did not swear and tried to be as polite as possible to everyone, he often appreciated when she made such observations.

"My 5 looks like this," she turned a few pages and then demonstrated a sample task using the number in question.

"Hmm…," Fujisaki-san didn't seem convinced.

"Okay, I get it, my handwriting is terrible," she replied with a mix of laughter and resignation, then slammed shut her notebook.

"I would say it's... unique?," the programmer tried to comfort her, but even for him it didn't seem to work.

"I think it's particularly hopeless," she laughed. "It's fine, I know my handwriting isn't the most legible so you don't have to sugarcoat me," she smiled gently, then was about to get up from the chair when she unexpectedly felt the boy's hand on hers, which stopped her in her tracks.

"Maybe…," the boy was embarrassed, his cheeks flushing, and then, to her disappointment, he moved his hand away. "You'll try to write a bit slower and more accurately at least in math class," he suggested after a moment.

"It's some kind of plan," she said, hiding her disappointment. "And in the worst case, I'll argue," she added with a defiant grin.

---

Their joint trips to the gym had been going on for almost 2 months now, and she had to admit that after that time she started to feel some difference.

She felt much lighter and more flexible, and both gymnastics and dance training came much easier to her, which had excellent results that even her teachers praised.

Additionally, after that time, she also began to notice purely visual changes in her body. Although her visible muscles weren’t huge, she never looked so… healthy.

Because she had gained some weight, she didn't look like a skinny ghost, but rather a petite girl who clearly doesn't spend all day on the couch eating chips.

As for her roommate, changes were also visible and interestingly they occurred much faster than in her, which was most likely due to the amount of testosterone in his body. However, it was also the boy's merit, who really devoted himself to their training from the very beginning and the fact that he, just like her, managed to gain some weight, which deepened the results.

At the gym, the programmer was dressed in a typical sports white skirt with built-in shorts and a green sleeveless sports top with a white sports bra peeking out from underneath, which was designed to at least somewhat mimic a woman's chest.

The first thing noticeable about his muscle gain was his arms, which she would occasionally glance at during their workouts... But the actress was very convinced that he must also have at least a little bit visible abs and pecs, which unfortunately she had not yet the chance to see...

Unsurprisingly, Fujisaki-san was a great training partner. Always motivated and positive. She could feel safe with him because, as always, he treated her with great respect and did not look at her in a way that was ambiguous or intrusive during their exercises.

If she had to think about it, he generally gave her only few glances at the gym, even when they were talking.

If she were to be honest, it was a bit... disappointing for her, because deep down she wanted her roommate to glance at her, even subtly, just like she sometimes glanced at him...

However, when it came to Fujisaki-san, she often found herself wanting him to be a little different when he did exactly what she expected from 99.99% of society...

---

"I'm exhausted," she slumped onto her chair when they returned to the room after the training. "And I definitely need a shower," she added after a moment, feeling how sweaty she was.

"You shouldn't be overworking yourself," he said with a worried tone, leaning against her desk.

"I give 100%, just like you," she said, resting her hand on the desk and placing her head on it. "I just complain more," she said, smiling at him from this position.

"I feel like you're giving it 200%," he sighed. "You should rest for the rest of the day."

"Relax, I'm not going to run a marathon today," she continued jokingly. "I'll get myself together, make dinner, and then I'll just compose."

"T-that doesn't sound like rest," he said, displeased. "Cooking is hard work too..."

"I can do something that doesn't take much work, for example..."

"We should order something today," he interrupted her enthusiastically. "Pizza?" he added after a moment of consideration.

"Do you want to eat pizza after training?," she laughed. "Isn't that a bit... I don't know... unhealthy?," she asked, mimicking his tone when he lectured her about healthy food, and then she giggled.

"We still need to gain mass, and after training, we need to provide our bodies with a lot of energy and...if we take the one with vegetables, it won't be so unhealthy...," as usual, he made a good case for his idea.

"Ah, and you've ruined everything with those vegetables," she retorted teasingly.

"Fine, without vegetables," he bent down to convince her. "But you're resting today," the statement sounded more like an order than a question, which made her giggle even more.

"He's sweet when he's a little bit bossy," she thought.

"Then you should rest too," she retaliated, still maintaining a teasing tone. "There is no more programming today."

"You got to do what you got to do...," he sighed with a smile, reaching for the phone to place their order. "Especially if it means spending more time with you...," he added hesitantly, a bit as if to himself, but she could still hear him, which automatically caused her heart raced. 

---

After the shower, at first she wandered around the room aimlessly, waiting for her roommate, who was now occupying the bathroom, and then she collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling and indulging in the rest she had been so desperate to get.

It didn't take the boy long to freshen up, and before she knew it, he was back in the room.

Loose sweatpants, a white t-shirt that was slightly damp from his wet hair, which was combed back...

Her favorite view after returning to the room after a tiring school day was the picture she had before her eyes, because in this version Fujisaki-san felt most at ease, and it was her who only had the honor of seeing him in his true self.

"Just another 20 minutes," he said, glancing at his phone screen.

"If it arrives on time," she said, not specifically committing to the delivery time.

"You think it won't come on time?," the boy seemed to be surprised by her suggestion.

"I don't know, but I'd be a hypocrite if I expected others to be punctual," she laughed and Fujisaki-san just smiled slightly, unable to deny it. "And it varies with the suppliers."

When she was lying down, the programmer leaned against his desk, not knowing exactly what to do with himself, or at least that was the impression she got.

"Didn't you also have to rest?," she asked, of course, with a hidden motive behind her question.

"Huh?," he said, surprised, not knowing what she meant.

"Standing up isn't really resting," she said, then moved on the bed towards the wall, which definitely caught his attention. " Only I'm keeping up my part of the bargain for now..." she added, hoping that Fujisaki-san would finish the rest, but it turned out that she was a rather naive thought, because after her statement the boy remained in his place and just stared at her with an uncertain look.

"What? Can we just lie together on your bed?," she decided to be more literal, but still keeping a sense of humor. The programmer blushed and after a moment finally decided to move towards her bed. However, just before it, he stood frozen again.

"If you don't want to, just say so," she said, no longer knowing whether he wasn't convinced or just was too embarrassed. "It's just a random thought, because I didn't feel like moving, but you don't have to. You can just lie down at your…"

"I want to," he interrupted her, his tone quite firm, and then he sat down on the bedding. "J-just…I didn't want to be p-pushy…"

"So come on," she declared, moving a bit more to give him as much space as possible, then patted the empty space to make it clear that she had initiated the whole situation. She didn’t have to wait long, because the programmer quickly carried out her command and lay down next to her. "Where do you even get this stuff?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"G-get what?," he asked, not knowing what she meant.

"I'm just wondering how you concluded that you were being pushy based on what happened."

"At first, I wasn't sure i-if that's what you meant, and I-I didn't want to innvent d-details...," he explained, feeling embarrassed, and she realized that he was right.

She always said that she liked direct communication and usually acted accordingly, but when it came to him, she sometimes did literally everything to sneak around, just so it would be a little less real for her.

"For the future, I'll try to be more blunt," she said, reaching for the headphones and her phone, which were by the bed. "That should make it easier for you," she added, sending him a gentle smile, which he shyly returned.

She then plugged the headphones into the phone, put one in her ear, and handed the other to him.

"A-are we going to listen to music?," he asked, putting the earpiece in his ear.

"Yup, more specifically my music. I recorded it a week ago and I want to know your opinion. It's an acting exercise," she announced, a bit excited. "I thought that since we still have some time, it's a good idea to relax. Don't you think so?"

"I like this idea," a smile appeared on his face again, only this time it was much wider. "I'm sure the song is great," he added, as usual, with a positive attitude.

"We'll see," she said with a laugh, then played the sound on her phone.

Barely a few seconds later, a melody began to play in their ears, and the actress's voice joined in shortly after.

Far, far away, in a forgotten land, there are trees that gently sway in the wind.

Just next to them is the blue sea, whose breeze reaches their leaves quite easily.

Among majestic greenery, a tiny flower is hidden from the cruelty of the world.

Legend has it that it was left by someone who had the last remnants of humanity…

---

When the song ended, Chihiro was delighted. The soothing melody perfectly complemented the slightly elevated text, which had a fairy-tale character. Yoshida-san wrote a story of sorts, which she told in her beautiful voice.

"And…?" the girl asked, looking at him expectantly.

"It's great," he said bluntly, completely entranced.

"So can I give it back with a clear conscience and not risk being ridiculed?," she joked. "I had to write something that would be suitable for an adventure novel," she explained.

The programmer noticed that the actress wasn't entirely convinced of her creation.

"I'm sure you'll ace it," he assured her. "But... is it a matter of whether you like it?" he decided to ask, seeing her confusion.

"I like it, but..., I never dealt with anything like this," she confessed, pausing briefly. At that time, she looked as if she was deeply thinking about something. "I just usually... write... more... intuitively... personally...," she said, hesitating, but Chihiro thought she seemed a bit embarrassed. That's probably why she doesn't usually share her texts with anyone. "Here I had to come up with something entirely from scratch, from beginning to end, and make it at least a little bit original."

"I think you did it, the story is brilliant," he praised her again, sending her a broad smile, at which she finally smiled back.

"Thank you," her words and gaze were very tender, and although they only gently brushed their shoulders, a pleasant wave of warmth flowed through Chihiro. He needed nothing more than her in this moment… "But the program also helped me a lot with the composition itself, so that's also your credit."

He was very happy that his program was helpful to her and that she actually used it.

Chihiro kept trying to install the program on her phone, which unfortunately had trouble handling such a large amount of data due to its age, so for now, he just gave her a USB drive that she could connect to a computer at the library or recording studio. Of course, she could also use his computer, but it was sometimes difficult for them to get along because of the fact that he used it quite a lot.

For some time now  he had thought about trying to put together the old laptop which is somewhere in the basement in his house, so that Yoshida-san would have more options.

Of course he could also just buy her a tablet or even computer, but he thought that it would be easier to convince the girl to accept something used from him then a brand new object.

At least right now...

---

The pizza arrived, and as usual, they started arguing about who should pay for it before they even started eating.

"There is no such option," she declared in a serious tone, when he offered to pay for the whole thing

However, this time the situation was a bit worse for him, because the actress not only wanted to pay for her part, but also for the entire meal, which he could not agree to.

"Yoshida-san, please…"

"You can let me pay at least once," she interrupted him, but her tone was much softer now. "Please," she added, looking at him fondly, then placing her hand on his.

"B-but I offered pizza, I-if you didn't agree, you wouldn't have to spend any m-money…," he tried to insist, but in that situation it was really hard for him not to give in…

"Thanks to you, I saved almost my entire allowance last month," she remained unyielding, but her voice was so sweet... and her hand so gentle...

"S-since you're c-cooking, I'll provide the p-products," it's a miracle that he was still able to talk. "I wonder if she did it on purpose," he thought, hoping that her tenderness wasn't just to convince him...

"I know, that's why now..," she stopped mid-sentence and, taking advantage of his distraction, reached for his wallet, which was already prepared to return her entire amount for the pizza, and she moved it to the other end of the room.

It turned out that the girl had planned to pay for the meal from the start, because when the delivery person arrived at the dormitory, she offered to go and pick up the food without even giving him time to react.

"It's my treat," she finished her statement looking all smiley, which ultimately swayed the scales.

"Are you sure?," the programmer decided to let it go.

"Yes, I am," she giggled, and then, to his disappointment, let go of his hand. "Let's eat, it's going to get cold," she added, looking at the box, suggesting that he take a piece. When he did, she did the same and immediately dug into the cheese cake.

"It's definitely better without the vegetables," she commented after devouring half of the triangle, and he laughed.

Yoshida-san's contentment made him feel a lot of warmth in his heart, and he could really feel grateful for another day with her that had brought him so much happiness.

Chapter 35: Chapter 34

"You set a new record!," the karaoke machine displayed after her performance.

"Fucking awesome!," got excited Owada

"Wow, it's really impressive, great job Yoshida-san," Fujisaki-san congratulated her.

"My sincerest congratulations," joined in Ishimaru-san.

"Seriously, Yoshida, you've blown the fucking system," the gangster spoke up again, even more hyped.

"What can I say…," she sighed, sitting back down. "I have this great talent," she replied ironically, making a proud smile that mimicked the one Togami made when he waxed poetic about his own greatness, and then, when she had made everyone laugh, she too let out a snort of laughter.

She had to admit that she really enjoyed their company. Their shared jokes, conversations about everything and nothing, and playing various games.

"But seriously now, it wasn't some difficult song, and the record wasn't that high...," she corrected after a wave of laughter.

"You're too modest," the programmer said, giving her a suggestive look.

"Exactly, Maizono wouldn't do that kind of shit," Owada supported him, also making an unexpected jab at the idol. "But don't get used to this sugarcoating, Yoshida," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

He tried to sound serious, but the actress knew perfectly well that the boy had recently started to like her a bit more.

"Mondo…," the moral compass slowly began to lose patience with the vocabulary of his best friend. "I would ask you…"

"Not to swear," the boy finished for him. "I understand, brother, sorry. I just got carried away," he added with a contrite face.

"Kyodai, I forgive you, I understand that emotions can get the better of you when you're having such a great time," Ishimaru-san patted the biker on the back, which, as usual, turned into a hug after a moment.

"They at least call themselves friends," she sighed to herself, getting irritated with her own stupidity.

"What's up with you being so on Maizono today, huh?," Haruka decided to dig a bit deeper."It's your good buddy's girlfriend, after all."

"Yep… Honestly, I never really liked her," he confessed. "And after that acid incident, this chick doesn't convince me at all… "

"Do you think she did it on purpose?," the programmer, who probably didn't even consider that before possibility, got worried.

"Man, I don't know… It was fucking weird… So suspicious…," the motorcyclist expressed his observations, which she had quite similar. However, this was no proof.

"Maybe we shouldn't be making baseless accusations about our classmates...," Ishimaru-san said. "Accidents do happen."

"Exactly," she agreed, not wanting to gossip unnecessarily. "And even if she did it on purpose, screw her," she concluded, and the red-eyed man gave her a warning look, which she innocently smiled at. "She doesn't want to pick a fight with me."

---

Their karaoke party, if it could be called that with only 4 people participating, ended quite late. It was quite surprising that Ishimaru-san allowed them to head to their rooms after 10 PM.

However, the school didn't have a typical curfew, and the regulations didn't actually forbid wandering around the dorm even at night, as long as you didn't disturb the peace of other students.

Although his moral compass usually placed a great emphasis on the amount and quality of sleep and his evening routine in this regard, so he must have had an extremely good time to overlook their late return. It was generally noticeable that since the boy has been close friends with Owada, he allowed himself a bit more freedom from time to time, which Haruka considered rather positive.

Especially since the motorcyclist became much less reckless with his roommate and started to be more interested in studying, which was quite important in his case, because, as he said, he barely passed the first semester on a few subjects.

During her return trip, the actress realized that she had left her phone near the karaoke machine. She decided to quickly go back for it, casually saying that they shouldn't wait for her, and said goodbye to Ishimaru-san and Owada.

When she returned to the karaoke room, she realized that finding her phone wasn't as easy as she thought, because it wasn't anywhere on top.

After the first 5 minutes of searching, she cursed in her head for not listening to Fujisaki-san and not taking him with her so he could call her from his phone to locate the lost item.

But she didn't want to drag him back here just because of her being a bit slow on the uptake.

Fortunately, in the end, she managed without him, because after another 5 minutes she found the lost item, which had fallen into the gap between the seats.

"I should take better care of this phone," she thought as she left the room. She didn't want the programmer's gift to get lost or destroyed for good.

---

As she walked the hallway leading to the elevator, she heard louder and louder voices. She wondered if her companions had decided to wait for her despite what she had told them.

At first, they sounded like nothing. They were so quiet that she couldn't understand a single word. And yet her hearing did not fail her, because an average person probably wouldn't have heard them from that distance at all. However, the further she went, the more everything became clear, and finally, after a while, she was able to hear a fragment of the conversation.

"Come on, you don't have to be so shy. We would take a short walk, and then I would politely escort you to your room. Your friend will definitely understand," she didn't recognize the voice of the speaker, so it couldn't have been one of her classmates, but it sounded like a very pushy guy, which didn't bode well for his conversation partner from what she understood.

"T-thank y-you..., b-but really..., I-I'm not i-interested... i-if you c-could l-let me g-go... ," but soon after him, a well-known frightened voice reached her ears, which made her start running towards the direction from which the conversation was coming.

"But look how well pretty girl like you fits in my hands…," when the actress arrived at the location, she saw a tall blonde guy she had only known by sight. She definitely didnt have any school classes with him.

He leaned over Fujisaki-san, who was leaning against the wall with no way to escape, because the blonde was holding him around the waist with one hand and blocking the way with the other hand, which was resting against the wall.

The programmer was terrified, shaking all over, and his eyes were completely glassy. Tears were already visible in the corner of his eye.

His attacker, on the other hand, looked like he was having a great time, which immediately raised her blood pressure even more.

"Didn't you fucking hear that you had to let her go!?," she growled, already clutching a note in her hand inside her pocket.

"So that's the girl you mentioned," the boy almost immediately took his hand away from her roommate and moved away from him, clearly losing the courage that had been evident in his previous comments. It seems he was only bold when he had the advantage of no witnesses.

"We were just joking around, why all the fuss?," he added in a more wavering tone, when he noticed that the actress was still staring at him with a fierce expression, after which he began to slowly make his way towards the elevator. "And I was just going anyway…"

"Coward," Haruka said, taking a few steps toward him and blocking his path and escape route. "You think you're so clever," she continued, looking at him with a mixture of anger and pity, then suddenly pushed him into the metal elevator doors, catching him off guard. She wanted to see the fear that Fujisaki-san had just experienced.

"Listen to me carefully now, " she pressed him even harder against door with her hand. At any moment, there was a real possibility that he could easily push her away, because he probably had more strength than her, but he looked so bewildered and anxious that he practically didn't move under her pressure.

"If I see you even looking at her in a way that I don't like, you'll regret being born," she warned him in a cold tone, then leaned in close to his ear. "And if I'm not scary enough for you, I'll ask my friend, Owada, to break your fucking hands," she concluded, to which he only nodded, shaking his head and swallowing his saliva loudly. "Now get out of my sight and I advise you to take the stairs."

That was enough for her to move away from him and head towards the shaken programmer, who was just watching them in silence. She grabbed his hand tightly and watched as the blond, all pale, without a word and not even looking in their direction, hurried up the stairs.

They took the elevator. Fujisaki-san held her hand the whole way, still slightly trembling, but didn't make a sound, even though tears were streaming down his face. Haruka wanted to take him to their room as soon as possible to take care of him there and not in the hallway where someone else might bump into them.

---

"Do you want me to give you more space?," she asked when they returned to the room, fearing that it might be more overwhelming than helpful for him now. After what had happened, Haruka could completely understand that the boy might not have wanted any physical contact.

The programmer shook his head in denial and only clenched her hand tighter, looking at her with a sad but tender gaze that clearly indicated that he needed her right now. After that, she didn't have to think long about what she should do next to comfort him in the best way possible at that moment.

Since her touch could help him, she decided to just give it to him.

She suddenly let go of his hand and took a gentle step back. It was clear that this behavior greatly unsettled Fujisaki-san, who now begged her for closeness with his eyes. However, she didn't make him wait long, because moments later she spread her arms, suggesting that he could embrace her.

"A-are you s-sure?," he asked, slightly disbelieving what she had just proposed.

"Yes," she replied briefly, her tone leaving no doubt about her conviction. "Of course, you don't have to…," she began, not wanting to put any pressure on him, but she stopped when Fujisaki-san rushed into her arms with considerable momentum. If he were much bigger and stronger, he could probably easily knock her over like that.

The programmer hugged her around the neck, probably to avoid touching her back. It was unthinkable to her that he would even think about her and her comfort in such a situation.

Haruka practically immediately wrapped her arms around his back, drawing him even closer to her. Soon after, her roommate could be heard sobbing loudly, probably having bottled up all his emotions for a long time.

---

She didn't know how long they had been in this embrace, it could have been 5 minutes, 10, or even 20. However, the actress did not pay attention to this and did not want to let him go until he had a good cry and calmed down a little.

Besides, his closeness didn't bother her at all, and on the contrary, she felt as if she needed him at that moment too...

Fujisaki-san, fit perfectly in her arms, causing her no discomfort or feeling of strangeness at all. The feeling of his warmth was one of the most pleasant things she had experienced in her life, and she didn't know if she would be able to function without it now.

There was not a single recollection in her memory trace where anyone had ever hugged her. She even dared to assume that it might not have happened at all, except perhaps in infancy… Her parents were never affectionate people.

When her roommate stopped crying and they had spent some time in silence, she decided to gently pull him away from her so she could check on him but still so that he remained in her embrace.

The first thing that caught her eye was that the boy, although no longer shaken, was barely standing on his feet, taking almost all the weight on her because of the position they were in.

To reach her neck, Fujisaki-san had to stand on his tiptoes the whole time, which was definitely not comfortable, but of course he didn't say a word about it, and she didn't think about it at all during the emotional rollercoaster.

She felt extremely guilty that the programmer had to struggle so much.

"You should... ," she began in a slightly worried tone, but when their eyes met, she immediately became embarrassed because of how intimate their position was. Although the boy was no longer pressed against her body, he was still wrapped around her neck and she was holding him from behind. “…s-sit down,” she finished, holding her breath.

"I-I would r-rather s-stay like this... j-just a little longer... i-if it doesn't b-bother you...," he mumbled quietly, hiding his red face back in her arm.

"W-we can...," she stopped and took another breath to stop her stuttering, which was mainly caused now by how handsome the boy looked when he was embarrassed. "Continue... on the bed...," she still made pauses, but at least she wasn't stuttering anymore. "That will definitely be... more comfortable."

"O-okay," he agreed but still didn't lift his head from her shoulder, which made her involuntarily giggle.

"But first, we have to get to the bed," she pointed out, still amused.

"I-I know...," he replied, still embarrassed, and she had the impression that he wrapped his face in her arm even more. "I-it's just hard for me... to let go."

"If you let me go now and then change clothes...," she began, gently tilting her head over his ear. "Then you won't have to do this again...," she continued in a more teasing tone. "Until...tomorrow...," she whispered very softly, causing Fujisaki-san to shudder. Although she knew she was crossing the line, she couldn't help herself. "What do you think of this...proposal?"

Her roommate backed away shortly after she asked the question. The blush on his cheeks, which still remained in a strong tomato shade, indicated that he was still embarrassed, but the joyful smile accompanying him gave his face a completely different meaning. She felt a warmth in her heart because she had managed to make his mouth corners lift up after that unfortunate incident.

"I'd be happy to!," he replied, beaming and ready to go, this time bringing a big smile to her face.

---

"Thank you, Yoshida-san," he replied as they cuddle in bed, much more comfortable now.

Their position was a slightly modified version of the one they usually used when they slept together.

She lay on his shoulder as usual, but with the difference that one of her hands rested freely on his chest. He, in turn, instead of keeping his hands on the bedding, wrapped one limb around her back and gently placed the other on her hand, which was on him. Additionally, in this position, their thighs slightly overlapped, and his head was gently resting on hers.

Although Fujisaki-san initially tried not to touch her back at all costs, she decided to let him do so because that way their position was more comfortable and more... natural... if she could use such a word at all.

She trusted him and kept him and his hands in sight at all times, certain that it was him who was in contact with her skin. 

It was definitely the most intimate experience of her life, and she assumed, and even quietly hoped, that it would be the same for him… Her heart probably never pumped so much blood into her body before...

"If it weren't for you..., I wouldn't have made it," he continued. The boy seemed calm considering how close they were, but she knew that he wasn't completely unmoved, because she could feel his rapid pulse...

"If that ever happens again, let me know," she said, giving him a serious look. "Though I hope that one day I'll be trained enough that I won't have to rely on the Owada," she added with a hint of humor.

"Maybe one day I'll be able to defend myself…," he confessed with a bittersweet tone.

"You definitely will," she assured him, directing a warm smile his way. "But you can always count on me, no matter what…"

"You can count on me too!," he declared, smiling back. "I will do everything to make you feel safe…"

"Would you even kill a mosquito for me?," she asked jokingly, referring to his reluctance to harm anyone or anything, including the mosquitoes that would sometimes eat them at night.

"I-If there was no other way… I would," he declared.

It might not have made any impression on anyone else, or some might even have thought it was stupid, especially since they were half-serious, but his answer made her feel a little touched.

"I appreciate that," she said, clasping their hands more tightly with a slight giggle. "And I'm serious," she assured, adding a tender glance which allowed her to hold her eyes on his flushed cheeks and embarrassed irises a little longer.

For some time after that, they talked about everything and nothing, and then they fell asleep, exactly as they had been lying all the time.

The first one to fall asleep was the programmer, who was definitely exhausted by what had happened, but sleep overtook her not much after that as she listened to his heartbeat and peaceful breathing.

After that evening, Haruka made a decision and decided that she would confess the whole truth to him, and then protect him for as long as necessary.

Of course, only as a friend...

Chapter 36: Chapter 35

After the last situation, cuddling became something that they just... did... on a daily basis...

Panic attack, watching movies and falling asleep together after it, just a bad day, or even the fact that it had gotten cold in November and she needed a bit more warmth was a perfect excuse to land in each other's arms.

What's more, this practice generally shortened the physical distance between them, even during the school day when they walked closer to each other down the hallway or sat more 'crunched up' together during lunch. It also happened from time to time that their hands ‘accidentally’ touched each other during science or PE.

Of course, she tried to keep things under control in public and thought she was doing quite a good job

At least until Owada brought up the topic from over two months ago and pointed out that she and Fujisaki-san had become a 'little closer' recently...

---

"You're playing with us Yoshida," the motorcyclist said out of nowhere when they were roughly halfway through Shichi Narabe, a card game they had recently played often in her and the programmer's room.

They typically all sat on the floor, but of course on a blanket, because Ishimaru-san always made sure not to damage his uniform. Around them, you could see a pile of snacks and hear music playing from Fujisaki-san's computer in the background.

"You think I'm cheating?," she laughed, convinced that he was referring to their game, in which she was doing exceptionally well. "You must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm an actress, not a gambler."

"I'm not talking about the game here," he said, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise, not knowing what then he meant by his first comment. "But this doesn't change shit about your amazing acting tricks, that you could also fucking play us with in this game," he said, throwing her a suggestive glance.

"Kyodai, we agreed that we would all play fair, and I wouldn't suspect Yoshida-san of wanting to break that promise," Ishimaru-san defended her.

"See?," she retorted pointedly to the gangster, then turned her gaze to the moral compass. "Thank you, Ishimaru-san for believing in my integrity."

"What ever... But that's not what I'm talking about...," Owada continued. "You want to tell me that you and her still call each other by your last names?," he looked at Fujisaki-san first, then back at her.

"What's so strange about that?," she asked as if nothing, still staring at the deck of cards in her hand.

"Let's see... You're so affectionate with each other but still you don't call each other by your first names," he pointed out and immediately Fujisaki-san's cheeks turned pink . "Don’t you think that’s a little fucking weird?"

"Owada, I don't understand your problem," she replied honestly, not knowing why exactly this state of affairs was bothering him.

"I'm just wondering why you two to this kind of shit...," he said, scratching his head.

"There is such a thing as respect for another person…," she tried to sound convincing. "And my mental limitations...," she added to herself in her head. "Is Ishimaru-san supposed to explain the definition of this word to you?," she added sarcastically.

"Brother, if you needed…," the moral compass began.

"No Taka, I know what that means...," he interrupted him with a slight sigh. "Respect is important, but since you're friends, I don't see any reason why you should..."

"W-well, actually… W-we aren't friends…," Fujisaki-san interjected, in her opinion, completely unnecessary, however, it's hard to blame him, since he was convinced by her that they never will be friends so he avoided that phrase like the plague...

"What the hell?!," the motorcyclist unsurprisingly was shocked by the information he received. "I haven't heard more absurd shit lately!," he laughed. "You're fucking kidding, right?!" the boy seemed to be already highly agitated and his tone became louder and more pretentious, which instantly made the programmer's eyes filled with tears. 

Owada's yelling really stressed him out, which in turn fucking pissed her off.

"Mondo, I would ask you," Ishimaru-san tried to join the conversation, but Haruka got there first.

"Are you fucking satisfied with yourself?," she asked, furious, pointing at the frightened programmer. "Do you only know how to yell and get angry?," she added in a similar tone when he realized he had gone too far after looking at Fujisaki-san. "Can't you for once mind your own business?"

"Fuck..., I'm so sorry, Fujisaki-san… I didn't mean to yell," Owada said remorsefully, as she reached for the tissues on the desk and handed one to her roommate.

"I-it's okey...I-I believe you didn't mean it...," the programmer accepted the apology, wiping his eyes. "I-I also get s-stressed out too quickly and…"

"It's his fault, not yours," she interrupted. "Get a grip, Owada, or I won't let you in my room anymore."

"I try to control myself, but sometimes everything just goes to shit anyway," he confessed, embarrassed. It was clear that he was bothered by it. "Sorry for the curse Kyodai, " he added before moral compass could intervene.

"Emotions can be overwhelming at times brother, but I'm sure that with hard work you'll be able to overcome your weaknesses," Ishimaru-san said motivationally, embracing his friend. "And as for the profanity, you and Yoshida-san really need to work on that."

"Thanks for believing in me, kyodai... ," he flashed him a gentle smile.

"I also believe that," declared the programmer, now also smiling. "Together, we can be better versions of ourselves. You'll yell less, and I'll cry less…"

"Thanks Fujisaki-san, you're great and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he confessed. "Actually… why don't we shorten the distance between us?!," he suddenly said in a loud, motivated tone. "From now on, call me Mondo, because we're friends, right?"

"I-if you want, I-I'd be happy to be your friend, M-mondo-san," Fujisaki-san despite his lack of courage accepted the gangster's offer and seemed pleased. "You can also call me by my first name…"

"Awsome," the gangster said, delighted. "Taka, you're getting in on this too?"

"If Fujisaki-san didn't mind such familiarity, then absolutely," Ishimaru-san said, equally delighted.

"Well, then it's settled, Taka-san," the programmer turned his smile towards the moral compass.

Haruka just passively watched their conversation, feeling extremely foolish. Additionally, of course, there was a hint of jealousy that their classmates could address her roommate by his first name.

However, she didn’t want to make a hasty decision and change what she had planned for some time already. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and was counting on her plan coming to life soon.

She just had to be a little more patient.

Both she and Fujisaki-san…

"You Yoshida, are free to do it too," Owada suddenly turned to her.

"It's tempting, but I have my own rules Owada," she confessed honestly, and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course, that's completely understandable, Yoshida-san, and I don't blame you," Ishimaru-san interceded for her for the second time that day, which made her smile involuntarily. "My kyodai and I will certainly respect that."

"But who knows... maybe I'll change my mind one day," she said after a moment, sending a subtle glance at her roommate, who was looking at her with his characteristic gaze.

Upon hearing her words, the boy sent her a gentle smile, and in his eyes, you could see now hope...

---

As is typical for the time of year, the evening was quite cold, but on that particular day, there was also a biting rain, which made her feel even colder because of staring at the window pane and listening to the sounds of large water droplets hitting it.

She was alone in the room because Fujisaki-san was meeting Asahina and Ogami-san after class. It seemed like a spontaneous decision, because the boy texted her the same day that he would be back later.

Of course, she pointed out that he didn't have to explain anything to her, but he thought he'd better let her know so she wouldn't worry about him.

In the end, after a moment of thinking, she considered this to be essential, because actually they had spent very little time apart lately and his absence would certainly seem unusual to her.

Therefore, even though the information didn't particularly please her..., she was grateful that the programmer thought to let her know.

Their room without him seemed terribly empty, a bit like when he came home during the summer, but with the difference that then she couldn't complain about the temperature, and now, although she was wearing a sweater, she still didn't feel comfortable enough and uncontrollably began to think about the warm skin of her roommate, which could definitely help her out now...

To be honest, she didn’t really know what to do with herself since she got back from class…

The gray autumn picture was certainly not the most inspiring, and although she could try to write something about it, it would probably end up being a depressing text, which she had already written many times before.

She tried to read, but it didn't last long because she couldn't focus at all and after struggling with one chapter, she gave up.

She also thought about taking a nap, but she had slept through the whole night after their movie marathon the day before so she wasn’t feeling too tired either.

When nothing else came to mind, she just stood by the window and gazed at the landscape surrounding the dormitory.

The longer she looked, the worse the weather seemed to get, the trees began to aggressively sway in the gusty wind, and the rain seemed to have no end. Later, flashes in the sky and loud thunder joined in. She would definitely not want to be outside right now.

"I hope I won't find broken trees in the morning," she thought, slightly worried that tomorrow her favorite trees would be nothing but a pile of branches. Gazing at them was one of her favorite ways to spend time, so it would be really bad if the storm caused a lot of damage.

Not wanting to worry about it in advance, she turned away from the window, leaned against the window sill, and looked at the LEDs on their wardrobe.

"I wonder what Fujisaki-san's view from the window is...," her head uncontrollably returned to her roommate.

She wondered what kind of winter landscape she would see through the window pane in his room at his house. She suspected that she would see mostly other single-family homes, which, although not a particularly fascinating sight, already gave her a slight sense of excitement.

"I wonder if his window is close to the bed...," her imagination took her further, and she began to wonder if she would be able to watch the snowfall from the bed in the morning.

As a child, she loved watching snowflakes gently fall to the ground, and sometimes she would even count them out of sheer boredom.

Although her childhood thoughts didn't occupy her mind for too long, because the thought of her sleeping in his bed made her cheeks burn with shame, and made her forget about the world.

She immediately began to gently slap her face to get herself in order.

"Friends, friends," she repeated to herself like a mantra, when the door to the room suddenly opened, and a breathless programmer burst in.

"Oh, you're back already, I thought you wouldn't be here much longer...," she began, surprised by his sudden intrusion. It was still relatively early, and she expected him to spend more time with their classmates. "Did you have…," she wanted to continue, but when Fujisaki-san suddenly landed in her arms, she had already forgotten what she wanted to say.

Before anything could cross her mind, the first thing she did was instinctively tighten her grip on him. The boy was shaken, and his face was hidden in her arm. Looking at him in that state, she thought of a thousand dark scenarios about what could have happened to make him return to the room in that state.

"I-I'm s-sorry … I-I didn't mean to do it s-so sudden…," he began before she could ask anything. "B-but you said I-I didn't have to ask… w-when we're in the r-room…," he continued, mumbling, which she wasn't sure was due to embarrassment, fear or both.

Of course, he was right, and she remembered perfectly well how they had agreed that if the programmer ever needed a hug, she would always be there with her arms open and he wouldn't have to ask for it. However, she only said that in public places, they should not get too familiar with each other so as not to create unnecessary gossip...

"Nothing had changed since then, so you have nothing to apologize for...," she said in a worried tone, still wondering what had happened that he needed comfort the first thing after returning to their room.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to push him, so she decided to wait for the programmer to tell her what happened by himself.

Although she probably didn’t need an answer to her question much later because when a loud thunderclap came from outside, her roommate immediately jumped up in fear and tried to squeeze her even tighter, although she wasn't sure if that was even possible.

She was worried that if he squeezed her like that a bit longer, he would have trouble breathing in that position.

"The storm," she thought, not expecting that his concern could be caused by something so mundane. However, she felt relieved on one hand because she was afraid that someone had hurt him, and she was not there to protect him.

Immediately after diagnosing the problem, she momentarily removed one hand from him and covered the window with a curtain to prevent the flash from further stressing the boy.

"Will we move away from the window?," she asked, bending over his ear. The boy blushed and nodded his head in agreement as much as was possible in their position.

Before they moved towards the bed, she quickly reached for the phone on her bedside table, thinking it might come in handy.

Then they sat on the bed, cuddled together and shared headphones that played loud music to drown out the weather outside.

"I'm so easy to read, aren't?," he asked hesitantly after a while.

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no," she laughed. "But I know you a bit already…"

"I have the feeling you know me better than anyone else...," he said gently, resting his head on her shoulder, and then looked as if he was lost in thought.

She would love to tell him exactly the same thing, but at that point it wouldn’t be the whole truth…

"It's a bit childish," he continued after a moment of thought. "I don't even know why the storm scares me so much. I've had it since I can remember. As a child, I used to hide under the bed because I was so afraid that lightning would strike me...," his voice showed that he was embarrassed.

He didn't really have to tell her this much details, but he decided to anyway.

"Childlish?" she repeated with a slight giggle. "Remember, you're talking to someone who's afraid of the dark," she pointed out, throwing him a suggestive glance. "I'm 15 years old and I have to sleep with the light on."

"I think that's a bit different…," he tried hard to stick to his narrative.

"I agree, I think mine it's much more embarrassing," she laughed.

"N-no, I meant something completely different," he replied, slightly indignant, and she laughed again.

"I know. You're just too nice," she said, then took advantage of the fact that the boy had lifted his head from her shoulder and now she gently leaned against him. "When I was little, I didn't hide under the bed, but I liked to hide in the closet to hide from everyone. It was so huge that I even brought pillows with me. I could sit in it for hours, which greatly annoyed my mother," a memory really amused her. She still remembered the look of her mother, who suddenly opened a piece of furniture and looked at her with a sharp gaze. "Of course, that was before I started avoiding the dark...," she added, her tone more subdued.

"Now if we wanted to do something like that, we'd have to stick the LED strip inside the wardrobe as well...," he said after a moment of thought.

"I don't think we'd fit in this one," she said, looking at their closet.

"If we could remove the shelves, maybe we could do it," he suggested, sounding like he was really considering it.

"Although it sounds tempting to hide from the world even after so many years, I wouldn't sentence you to be locked up with me for so many hours in such a small space. You have to deal with me in a slightly larger version, anyway," she joked, not even wanting to imagine two of them alone in such a tight space...

"I-I wouldn't mind… I-I wouldn't dare ask for a better r-roommate in the room…," he confessed, slightly embarrassed.

Whenever he complimented her, he seemed so sure of his convictions, which often surprised her. She couldn't understand what he saw in her that was so special...

"Or in a closet...," he added after a moment, this time with less seriousness, which made them both laugh again.

"The storm probably calmed down... ," she noticed after another while. "Maybe you want to change clothes? I suspect you're not very comfortable in this metal underskirt."

"I've gotten used to it now but it's actually not very suitable for a semi-reclined position because it's so stiff. To be honest the biggest discomfort is always the insert under it…"

Haruka knew already that the boy wore a few extra 'layers' during the day that were only necessary for him to play his role - a bra with small pads, a tank top that also covered his chest, and a underskirt with a metal skeleton which added to the skirt of indifference.

The actress thought that even the underskirt was completely unnecessary, so she never suspected that his preparation for his role did not end there.

As it turned out, under all the layers of the skirt, the boy was wearing short leggings and an insert, under which was underwear. She assumed that the term 'discomfort' that Fujisaki-san used in relation to the plastic was just the tip of the iceberg.

She was aware that he liked to be cautious, but this all clearly showed how much he was afraid that someone would find out the truth about him.

Again she started cursing all the stupid people who were co-responsible for this whole circus…

"All the more reason you should change clothes...," she said, then sighed quietly, and removed her head from his shoulder, allowing him to get up from the bed.

When that happened, she couldn’t bite her tongue.

"I shouldn't have interfered…," she began, a bit uncertain, refocusing his attention. "But if you want to know my opinion, I think that's all unnecessary... In this configuration, the underskirt is sufficient, especially since I suspect that the insert would be more useful if you were wearing pants, which I have not seen you do in public yet."

She looked at him with a gentle gaze, and although she wanted to end it there, his gaze prompted her to say a few more words that were less necessary. "Especially if it makes you uncomfortable... I-I hate that..."

Her roommate didn't answer for a moment and just sat back down on the bed, this time with his clothes in his hands. He was flushed, but he didn't seem particularly embarrassed, because a smile was on his face.

"I swear it's not that bad," he looked at her tenderly. "But I will think about it, alright?," he asked, placing his hand on hers, and she nodded her head slightly, flustered. It was a bit funny that with her he actually was able to show assertiveness and confidence.

"You're going to... stay here?," after a moment, he dared to ask another question that she suspected had been on his mind almost since they sat on the bed.

"Do you want me to stay?," she asked teasingly, unable to resist.

"I want to," he said without hesitation or the embarrassment, which surprised her.

"In that case, I'm not moving anywhere," she declared with a gentle smile, then changed her sitting position to lying down.

She hoped that his nightmare would end someday and everything would finally fall into place.

She would like everyone to get to know him as he is...

A boy with a heart of gold.