Chapter 12: An Unexpected Invitation
Darkness covered Ryugen's eyes.
Warm hands.
Soft fingers.
A familiar voice.
"Guess who I am."
Ryugen sat perfectly still.
The library remained silent around him.
Rows of books stretched endlessly under the afternoon sunlight, and somewhere in the distance a clock ticked quietly.
He didn't answer immediately.
The person behind him waited.
Patiently.
Confidently.
As if she already knew she would win.
Ryugen sighed.
"Elina."
A short silence followed.
Then the hands disappeared.
"That was too fast!"
Elina walked around the table and dropped into the chair opposite him.
Her expression looked genuinely disappointed.
"I barely got three seconds."
Ryugen closed the book in front of her.
"You always use the same perfume."
Elina froze.
Then immediately pointed at him.
"That's creepy."
Ryugen nodded.
"Okay."
Elina stared.
"...Why are you agreeing?"
"Because arguing with you looks exhausting."
The girl dramatically held her chest.
"You wound me."
Ryugen returned to his book.
The conversation was apparently over.
At least for him.
Unfortunately, Elina had different plans.
She leaned forward.
"So."
"No."
"I haven't asked anything yet."
"I know."
"Then how do you know the answer is no?"
Ryugen flipped a page.
"Experience."
Elina narrowed her eyes.
"Are you free today?"
"No."
"You didn't even think."
"I don't need to."
Elina crossed her arms.
"Why?"
"I'm busy."
She looked around the library.
Then looked at him.
Then looked around again.
The library was completely empty.
Only the two of them remained.
Finally she pointed dramatically at the room.
"Busy?"
"Yes."
"Doing what?"
Ryugen held up the book.
"Reading."
Elina stared at the title.
How to Reduce Laziness
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"You came to the library to read a self-help book?"
"Yes."
"...Why?"
Ryugen looked at her.
"For Shin."
Elina blinked.
"What?"
"I'm collecting evidence."
For the first time in several seconds, she couldn't think of a response.
Then she burst out laughing.
The sound echoed softly through the empty library.
A nearby librarian immediately glared at her.
Elina lowered her voice.
"You're impossible."
Ryugen nodded.
"I've been told."
She leaned closer.
"Anyway."
"No."
"I'm not asking."
"You are."
"I am."
Ryugen sighed.
Elina smiled triumphantly.
"Come have coffee with me."
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm reading."
Elina pointed at herself.
"Don't you see?"
Ryugen looked up.
"See what?"
"I want you to come with me."
A pause.
Then she added,
"Very badly."
Ryugen stared at her.
Elina stared back.
Neither moved.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
Ryugen closed the book.
Elina's eyes widened.
"...Wait."
"You win."
"What?"
Ryugen stood up.
"Let's go."
Elina blinked twice.
Three times.
"What?"
"You wanted coffee."
"Yes."
"I'm free today."
For the first time since meeting him, Elina looked completely defeated.
"You know..."
She stood slowly.
"Sometimes I genuinely can't tell if you're joking."
"So we're both confused."
---
Twenty minutes later they were walking through downtown Aozora.
The weather was perfect.
A cool breeze drifted through the streets.
People moved around them.
Couples.
Students.
Families.
Normal life.
Elina walked beside Ryugen with her hands behind her back.
A smile kept appearing on her face.
Then disappearing.
Then appearing again.
Ryugen noticed.
But said nothing.
Eventually Elina stopped in front of a café.
"Here."
Ryugen looked up.
"Coffee."
"That's usually what cafés sell."
Elina ignored him.
---
The café was small but cozy.
Warm lighting.
Wooden furniture.
Soft music.
The kind of place where people stayed longer than necessary.
The waitress guided them toward a table near the window.
Elina immediately chose the seat beside Ryugen's.
Not opposite.
Beside.
Ryugen looked at the empty seat across the table.
Then at her.
Then back at the empty seat.
He decided not to ask.
Elina smiled.
Entirely too pleased with herself.
---
Over the next hour, Elina acted suspiciously.
Not suspicious in a dangerous way.
Suspicious in a very specific way.
The kind that made Ryugen feel like she was following a script he hadn't received.
Whenever she laughed, she leaned slightly closer.
Whenever she showed him something on her phone, she moved her chair nearer.
At one point their shoulders touched.
Elina looked completely calm.
Ryugen simply moved slightly to the side.
She moved slightly closer again.
The battle continued for fifteen minutes.
Neither acknowledged it.
---
Eventually they left the café.
Unfortunately for Ryugen—
Elina wasn't finished.
"Let's go somewhere else."
"Why?"
"The day is still young."
"It's four thirty."
"Exactly."
"That's not young."
"It is for me."
---
The next stop was a bookstore.
Then an arcade.
Then a small park.
Then another café.
Then a convenience store because Elina suddenly wanted ice cream.
Ryugen felt like he had accidentally become someone's personal assistant.
Meanwhile Elina looked happier than she had in weeks.
At some point she was walking ahead of him while eating vanilla ice cream.
She turned around suddenly.
"Ryugen."
"What?"
"Are you having fun?"
He thought about it.
The answer surprised her.
"...A little."
Elina nearly dropped her ice cream.
"What?"
"A little."
Her eyes widened.
"That's practically a confession."
"It's not."
"It is from you."
---
The sun slowly began to set.
Orange light painted the city in warm colors.
The two of them eventually reached a small hill overlooking part of Aozora.
Below them, the city lights gradually turned on.
One by one.
Like stars appearing before nightfall.
Elina sat on a bench.
Ryugen sat beside her.
For once—
Neither spoke.
The silence felt peaceful.
Comfortable.
After a while, Elina looked toward him.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I'm glad you came."
Ryugen looked toward the city.
"So am I."
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Elina froze.
Completely.
Ryugen noticed too late.
"...Because the weather was nice."
He added.
Elina immediately laughed.
The spell broke.
But not completely.
---
Night had already arrived when they finally started heading back.
The streets were quieter now.
The city calmer.
Eventually Sakura Heights appeared in the distance.
Ryugen stopped.
"This is where we split."
Elina nodded.
For a moment she looked like she wanted to say something.
But didn't.
Instead she smiled.
"Goodnight, Ryugen."
"Goodnight."
She turned.
And walked away.
Ryugen watched her disappear around a corner.
Then began walking toward Sakura Heights.
A normal ending.
A normal day.
Or at least—
That's what he thought.
Because when he entered the lobby of Sakura Heights—
He stopped.
Someone was sitting on the sofa near the entrance.
Silver hair.
Gray-blue eyes.
A familiar face.
Naomi.
She looked up the moment he entered.
And for the first time since he had met her—
She didn't look calm.
She looked worried.
No.
Not worried.
Hurt.
Her eyes shifted.
Past him.
Toward the direction Elina had disappeared.
Then back to Ryugen.
A long silence followed.
Finally Naomi spoke.
Quietly.
"...Ryugen."
He stopped.
Something about her voice felt different.
Dangerously different.
Then Naomi stood up.
Took a slow step toward him.
And asked a question that immediately made his heart skip a beat.
"Who was she?"
(End of Chapter 12)