Work Text:
Chihiro stifled a yawn as he typed in a few more lines of code. Just a few more minutes and then he would go to bed, he promised himself. Ever since Kyoko gave him that old laptop in the library she happened across, he had done little else, wanting to program a file decrypter on the device. It was the one and only thing he could do for his classmates, and darn it if he was just going to let the opportunity to be useful just pass him by. As he programmed, he drank the last bit of his fifth Mountain Dew and tossed it into the trash bin in his room, stifling his resulting burp with his elbow.
A knock at the door got his attention, which he carelessly waved at. “It’s open,” Who would even be visiting him at such a late hour anyway? Were they wondering why he skipped dinner?
The door loudly slammed open, revealing a tall figure dressed in a black sweater and matching mask. Chihiro jumped in fright and discreetly turned the computer off, his hands in the air. Was this the next murder motive?!
“Get down on the ground, now! Hands up!” The intruder barked, pulling a knife out of his pocket. It was just a smaller one from the kitchen, but Chihiro still trembled at the sight of it. He couldn’t figure out who the masked person was, as despite their familiar way of speaking, their voice had been distorted. “You heard me! On the ground! Give me the computer too, please!”
The cold steel of the knife suddenly at his throat, Chihiro trembled as he nodded and dropped to his knees on the floor, staring at how his skirt rode up slightly and bunched around his legs.
“W-What are you doing this for? Who are you?” He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the stranger take the computer.
“Please be quiet!” The masked intruder barked, elbowing Chihiro in the ribs as a white cloth was suddenly pulled over his eyes. He tried to gasp for breath. His hands were still up, so the intruder dragged him to the center of his room and threw him down, a click and the feeling of cold metal on his wrists being all that he could make out.
“Mmmm..” Chihiro simply whimpered, terrified of what was to happen next. He didn’t think any of his classmates could commit murder; the last trial cleared his head of that thought. But were any of them really capable of kidnapping?
“Bring in the other one,” The stranger barked, and Chihiro was aware of another person being dragged into the room and another click as they were thrown down beside him. All he could tell about the other was that they smelled nice and wore very crinkly clothes; he could feel the material against his hands. Before he could mull over it further, the light went out and the door shut loudly, leaving them in the dark together, likely chained up.
“Um....who are you..? I can’t see anything...t-they blindfolded me...do you t-think they’re going to kill us..?” He asked shyly, hearing the rattle of their chains as the person tried to move around.
“Did they seriously handcuff us up together? What a cliche plot for a romance movie. I genuinely thought I was going to be murdered, what with a knife at my throat and all,” Celestia’s elegant but bored voice soon reached his ears, and he has no idea whether to perk up or not. “And it seems as though I have the misfortune to be here with the most unfashionable girl possible in our class. What a fright. No, this simply will not do. I have far better things to do with my time tonight, so if you do not mind, I will be helping us escape,” And with that, she promptly stood up, making Chihiro stumble as he was forced to his feet. The chains connecting them together rattled again.
“D-Do you think they’ll come back later and kill us..? W-What about the others? Maybe they’re tied up too!” His words began to spill out like vomit. “How do you remain so calm in a situation like this?”
“I simply am. I have been in far deadlier situations than this, after all. I once played Russian Roulette in the basement of some castle. Five rounds were loaded. Obviously, I won,” Celestia sighed a bit. “I do not think they are going to murder us. If so, there is likely a complicated plan surrounding it. Maybe they will frame someone else, then come in and finish us off. Do you think you could do such a thing as framing someone, Chihiro-san? It is a truly despicable thing to do, would you not agree?”
“H-How can you tell-?”
“Your voice and your figure. It may be dark in here, but I am not blindfolded. Maybe they found it a pointless endeavor if I was just to be left in the dark?” How did she manage to sound so bored all of the time? Chihiro would give anything for even a fourth of the attuidute she was showing at the moment.
“D-Does that mean you’re not afraid?” He gasped as she suddenly started to walk off, feeling dizzy and disoriented from the sensory deprivation as well as the fact they were facing two different directions.
“Why would I be scared?” Her voice sounded darker in that moment, and he flinched a bit, assuming he hit a nerve or something similar. “You are a girl, so you would have a sewing kit here in your dorm, am I correct? It may not seem very useful in our current situation, but do not fret! I can do amazing things with a needle!” He could tell by her tone that she was smiling as she steered him over in the direction of his desk. “The layout of our dorms is the same, so your desk should be here somewhere...”
“Um...are you sure t-that’s a good idea?” Chihiro blinked a few times, trembling. He couldn’t let Celestia actually look through his desk, otherwise she would notice his lack of a sewing kit. “Y-You’re awfully eager to be free. Maybe we should just...wait here a little while longer? Maybe the people who did this to u-us will come back. Y-You never know,” He gasped in pain as Celestia used both of her hands to search through his desk drawers, taking both arms of his with her.
“And if they do not? What if they kill us?” She continued to rummage, gasping in annoyance when Chihiro stepped on her foot. “These are real Red Bottoms! Do stop twirling about like a drunken madman and be careful,”
“I-I’m really sorry!” Chihiro bowed from habit, trembling more. He wasn’t even trembling from fear so much; rather, he quickly discovered he had to pee quite badly. Because of course he had to pee right at that very moment! All because of those stupid five Mountain Dews he chugged earlier. Celestia was right-it was like a cliche romance movie plot!
The sound of something heavy hitting the ground reached his ears, and he froze a bit as he heard Celestia trying to sift through it with her foot.
“I must be seeing things, because in the dark, none of these items remotely resembles something one would find in a sewing kit. In fact...one of these looks like a hammer from a tool kit. Why would you of all people have a tool kit in their room?” She questioned, pausing in her movement.
“Um...I think there was a mix-up when I got my room. I-I was given a boys’ room by mistake, and since I’m not much of a girly-girl I saw no reason to complain. You know? I wouldn’t have much of a use for a sewing kit, but I might for the tools. Right?” He clenched his fists tightly behind his back, biting his lip as he hopped from one foot to the next. “C-Can’t we talk about this later? I-I’m having a bit of an emergency!” What was he even supposed to do? His first obvious thought to protect his secret was to just simply pee himself right there, but he knew some might get on Celestia and she’d be super upset about that. And probably blab it to the whole school too! No, he just needed to remain calm and think it through. There must be some other way.
“What are you going on about now?” Celestia demanded. “Your jumpiness is making the chains rattle, like a little frightened rabbit. Do remain still, as I have to hammer the chains loose and..well, it would be quite a shame if I accidentally hit you too, would it not?” A smirk in her tone. Chihiro crossed his legs and rubbed his knees together in agony, feeling like he was about to melt.
“U-Um...the angle is all wrong, isn’t it?” He asked instead, sweating. “B-Besides...um...” His face burned hotly as he mustered up the courage needed. He didn’t want to at all, but he couldn’t wait any longer. “C-Could we stop by the bathroom r-really quick?”
“The chains are already loose, all they need are a few quick taps,” Celestia insisted; he could feel her stare through his blindfold and he nearly toppled over from the weight of it. “Alright. I do suppose I could take a little break, myself,” He heard the heavy sound of a hammer being laid down on a table before Celestia walked off into the bathroom. He could just nearly die; she actually listened to him!
Except...she had stopped. He shakingly reached a hand out, only to be nearly slammed into Celestia’s back as she adjusted something on her head.
“Perfect. Even in a situation like this, I still look exquisite,” She purred.
“Um...I-I didn’t really ask to come in here for the mirror...” His face felt hotter with every word he said. He felt a spasm and jumped in agony, feeling his need greatly outweigh his modesty. “Celestia-san...um...you’re in front of me. Do you think that...you could turn around and steer me into the toilet? Like back into it...” He trembled. “I-I’m still blindfolded, don’t forget,”
Celestia sighed. “Just do not get any on me, alright? Though, I suppose that would be quite a feat for a girl,” She took a few steps forward before suddenly spinning around; Chihiro nearly falling right into the toilet bowl before he managed to grab onto an empty rack. “You do not need my help, I trust? As you do that, I shall work on getting the handcuffs off,”
Chihiro nodded beside himself, straddling the toilet bowl to the best of his ability, squirming around. Celestia was loudly hammering away at the handcuffs, so one of his hands was out of commission while the other hung uselessly at his side. He took that one and continued to squirm around, opening up his underwear the best he could. His skirt tightened on him in protest; it was one of those overall outfits where the skirt could only come off if one undid the suspenders as well, but he didn’t have the time nor energy for that today.
It was still dark in the bathroom, but Chihiro felt as though he had a good grip on his member despite that. Due to the bigness of his skirt, it was inevitable that he’d get some on him, but he had no other choice at that point. There was just one other thing to worry about..
“Celestia-san...ummm...I’m really sorry to bother you, but...c-could you please hum or something? Just so you don’t hear the...um..you know...”
“I thought the hammer was loud enough on its own!” Celestia mused. “But very well, I suppose I shall humor you. What shall I sing though, is the question? Hm...” He awkwardly jiggled around. Why did it seem as though she was getting a kick out of this? “How about a French lullaby I learned on my various travels?”
She then begun to sing, and Chihiro finally allowed himself to start peeing into the toilet, breathing a massive sigh of relief as every inch of him turned to jelly. It still seemed overly loud to him and he desperately hoped Celestia wouldn’t be able to hear it over all of the noise she was making. Once he finished, he shook himself off and redressed himself, backing away from the toilet. He shook a bit as he still smelled the faint trace of urine. Celestia finished her singing at that moment.
“I don’t ever want to think about this again...please,” He sighed a bit as he flushed the toilet. Whoever had done such a thing to them was a lunatic, plain and simple. He never liked to think such things about other people, but felt as though it was justified in this instance. And why him and her specifically?
“Do the chains feel any loser to you?” Celestia questioned after a few minutes of nothing but her pounding hammer on the metal.
“No....we’re still stuck here...u-until whatever the person who did this to us wants to do next..” Chihiro sighed again. Might as well start getting comfortable, no matter how much that thought intimidated him personally. “Um..h-how about we play a game? Just to pass the time,”
“A game? I am not as childish as you, I hope you understand.”
He frowned a bit. “Um..then how about we talk about our classmates and how we feel about them? Would be our little secret,”
“What is there to say? Almost all of my classmates bore me. They are boring and crude. They are only there to be used, in my opinion. And use them I shall, then toss them aside. The only one who is worth my time is D-Rank Makoto. He may be plain, plainer than the rest, but there is something about him. I want to test him and truly see how far his luck goes. He fascinates me in that area, though most of all he is persistent. He will never leave me alone...”
“Yes, Makoto-kun is quite nice! I can tell him about my programming all day and he listens. Even though I can tell most of it goes over his head....I still like talking to him about it. Plus, I feel like I can tell him anything and he’d understand. He never makes fun of me..” Chihiro sighed wistfully. “So...um..what do you think of Mondo-kun? He’s pretty inspiring, don’t you think? I really like how dedicated he is to working out and bettering himself,”
“I suppose, if you are into that sort of thing. If you take away...everything, he does have an honest way of living, and I truly do respect that about him. However, I mainly try to ignore him, which is a hard feat to do indeed. So loud and boisterous,” Celestia’s tone remained level. “Would you still find him inspiring if he were the one who tied us up like this? If he were the one planning to finish us off? He likely is quite experienced with murder. I overheard a conversation he was having with Kyoko-san the other day where he discussed that very subject. He spoke as if he knew it well, since he mentioned the best way to do it was to strike the back of the head. What would you think of him then?”
Was she smirking? The blindfold was maddening to him. He awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “No...I think Mondo-kun is secretly a good person. He looks scary, but he has a kind heart,” He hanged his head. “You probably think I’m silly for thinking that though,”
“I think every human has a drop of evil in them. It is usually repressed, but given the right circumstance...” She commented sweetly. Chihiro shivered. He didn’t need to be reminded. Sayaka and Leon were proof of that; proof that someone kind could be turned into someone dark and evil in the right circumstance. He could only hope it wasn’t that easy for the rest of their classmates to turn. They lost three in one day already; far too many.
“How about Byakuya-san? He seems like someone who would be right up your alley,” He buried his hands in the folds of his skirts. “You two have a lot in common, I think,” In reality, Chihiro found Byakuya to be quite snobby, but didn’t dare confess that for fear of Celestia assuming he thought the same about her-true or not.
“He interests me far more than most here do. He is very refined and I would love to play him in a game. We truly would have so much to discuss, I bet. Unfortunately, he never gives me the time of day. I have yet to figure out why. I am far more endearing than that dreary author girl. For one, I actually bathe regularly,” Celestia sighed, taking a pause in her hammering.
“I-I think Touko-san is a little interesting,” Chihiro admitted, genuinely starting to have fun. If only it weren’t for the impending thought of death hanging over his head. “I try to talk to her sometimes since we’re both a bit shy and spend most of our time in our rooms working on our talents...but...sometimes she gets a scary look on her face. I don’t know..” He could see one of her expressions now; everytime someone tried to ask her an innocuous question, she’d grab her hair and bolt. “If there’s another murder, I would probably suspect her. I mean...she seems like the kind of person who knows her way around a body...”
Celestia suddenly took a step backwards, making Chihiro stumble in surprise, nearly falling over.
“She seems like the type of person to faint at the very thought of blood! Weak and timid is how I think of her. She would never do such a thing, she does not have the strength. I suppose she does not want out very badly,” Celestia sighed again. “Also, did I mention you carry a very strong smell? A bad one, of urine and that body spray men use. D-Rank Makoto told me it was...Axe? Why do you smell of it?”
Chihiro immediately balked, his face paling at her accusation. The urine he couldn’t really argue against, but was his Axe aroma really that strong?! “I know girls don’t wear that stuff! I-I don’t have it on at all! You must be smelling...t-the bathroom...the bathroom in general,” He quickly lied. “So...um...Hifumi-san. I think he likes you a lot. Like a lot a lot. Like, you could probably make him be your servant and he’d be totally willing,” He nearly shuddered as he recalled a few of the times Hifumi had tried to come onto him as well. He didn’t want to remember any of that at all.
Celestia suddenly hit the chains really hard, making them rattle loudly and shake. “Hm? That loser? I had nearly forgotten he existed until now. He is the prime example of someone who is good for nothing. Cannot even make milk tea properly, and he wants me to enjoy his company? To spend time with him? No. I absolutely refuse to entertain such fantasies,” She grumbled. “If I had a ‘To-Kill’ list, he would be the very top of it. Assuming I could actually carry such a thing out. It is a list that I feel would grow in time, but his position on it would never change,”
Chihiro laughed nervously at that, the laugh sounding hollow in his ears. “Um...w-what do you think of me?”
Celestia was silent for a moment, likely thinking of her answer. Chihiro blushed a bit as he thought of her pose that she adopted in such situations; looking off in another direction with her finger positioned daintily over her mouth. If she wasn’t currently handcuffed, he felt as though she’d be positioned in that manner.
“I think very little of you, to be perfectly honest,” His face fell. “You are a very tomboyish girl and offer very little in terms of class. However, you have a lot of perseveration and kindness. You truly do have a kind heart. Perhaps there is someone out there who appreciates that trait more than me,”
“Y-You don’t like kind people?” He asked curiously.
“It is a trait that gets you taken advantage of, where I am from,” She explained. “Besides, no amount of kindness can save you from your terrible fashion sense. Not only do you smell appalling, but your hair is a mess and your clothes look like something a Catholic schoolgirl threw out for being too immodest,”
“S-So?” Chihiro tried to fold into himself. “I thought most girls dressed like this...I mean...it covers what it needs to...” He blushed even more. “N-Not everyone can be as fashionable as you,”
Celestia suddenly struck the final blow on their handcuffs, making them fall from Chihiro’s wrists. He cried out as he took the wrong step and fell over backwards, knocking Celestia over and getting buried in her frilly dress. He groaned a bit.
“My, I never took you for a clumsy one,” Celestia tittered as Chihiro finally sat up, pulling the blindfold off and revealing his hazel eyes. He blinked a few times to be certain, blushing as he met Celestia’s red eyes. She was awfully pretty up close...”I thought D-Rank Makoto was bad, but you?”
The hammer was discarded on the floor, as were their handcuffs. Chihiro slowly stood up and readjusted his clothes, noticing dark spots at the edge of his skirt. Celestia gently sat up herself.
“I am delighted to hear you enjoy my sense of fashion. It is something I pride myself on, but it seems nobody else really does,” She sighed dramatically as she stood up herself. “Also, please refrain from falling on me again. I do not want my clothes to be stained. You still smell of urine,”
“S-Sorry...I think some of it got on me e-earlier,” He clasped his hands together shyly as he followed Celestia over to his door. He felt a small pang in his heart as he realized she was going to leave. But why? Of course she’d leave after they got unstuck, she had no reason to remain. The thought saddened him though.
“It is locked,” She couldn’t hide her surprise for once as she tried to turn the knob on his door. “Well, they all automatically unlock for breakfast. Which means that I have to spend the night here...until tomorrow morning...” She clawed at her dress, trying to hide the fact that her stomach was growling.
“Um...d-didn’t you eat dinner?” Chihiro stepped closer to her, awaiting her annoyance. It never came. Instead, she kept her arms crossed in front of her chest, eyes trained steadily on the floor. She looked so...vulnerable, in a way. Another pang in his chest.
“No. I was not hungry earlier and was trying to find D-Rank Makoto so I could play a game with him. As I was looking, however, a stranger with a mask and garbled voice held a knife to my throat and brought me here. And you know the rest,” She responded, still not looking at him.
“Um...I didn’t eat it either...well, for once, I think I can help with that,” He couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his face as he walked over to his desk and pulled out some junk-food, handing them to her. A warm Pepsi and a few Ding-Dongs. “Um, y-you could eat at my desk, if you wanted...”
Celestia stared curiously at the things she was brought, recognition in her eyes. “I cannot eat such things. They would upset my delicate digestion. Why do you even have such things?”
“Just in case I’m in the middle of some late-night programming!” He announced, starting to unwrap his own. He had already taken a seat on his bed.
“As I said, they might make me sick. The only common dish I have ever partaken in willingly was gyoza. But...I suppose it will have to do. I...I am rather hungry,” Celestia very slowly lowered herself on the edge of Chihiro’s bed, knocking the grippers that were there onto the floor. She still stared at the Ding-Dong in her hands; a soft chocolate cupcake filled with white cream with a spiral pattern on top.
After she unwrapped it, she still ate it gently and daintily, not a single crumb falling from it. She briefly glanced up at the camera in the room. “I assure you that this is just a matter of circumstance. I am not normally like this at all,” She smiled sweetly, and Chihiro found himself laughing.
“It’s not that bad...is it? You know...eating all of this ‘commoner’ food......” He unwrapped his own cupcake and took a bite, feeling the cream burst inside. He watched Celestia as she ate, blushing. How did she eat even a Ding-Dong with such grace?
“It is not for me. I had a very wealthy upbringing, you know. My father is descended from a line of French nobility, and my mother is a German musician. They came here to Japan to have me. Mother decided that she would be the one to pass her last name onto me, and thus she did. Especially since I had no other siblings,” She bragged proudly.
Chihiro nodded as he listened. “Y-You certainly have the...the grace of a princess. The strength of one too,”
“It is unseemly for a lady to have muscles,” Celestia stared at him levelly.
“S-Sorry! I-I meant...you were really brave and level earlier. A true princess...she’d need to have strength like that in times of crisis to protect her people. Y-You...definitely have that. I-I admire it,” Chihiro felt his cheeks turning red as Celestia stared him down. Had he somehow said something bad again to her?
“You know...before I came here, I was perfectly fine with being a loner. My parents were hardly around, the only person around was my pet cat. I spoiled him so much and he clung to me. But....then I came here and saw everyone talking about their friends and their families...” She had looked away from Chihiro again, her voice the quietest he had ever heard from her. “It made me realize that...I...perhaps just a small bit...am lonely. And I do not like it at all,”
Chihiro moved a bit closer to her, his hand out before he thought better of it and dropped it back into his lap. Did she even want comfort, let alone his own? He doubted it.
Still....
“I-I don’t think it’s wrong to want friends. I...I don’t think we’re meant to face this world alone...” His voice was barely above a whisper to match hers. “I mean...look at me. All of the friends I’ve ever made...I’ve literally made. A program can’t be your friend though. You can be the best programmer in the whole world, but you can never program a soul into them. They can only follow their programming,” He unwrapped another snack.
“Hm. The others here likely think I am nothing but a joke. Even if I wanted to be their friend....” She straightened herself up. “You know, when we all introduced ourselves a few days ago, D-Rank Makoto asked me if my name was real. Can you believe the audacity? Was that not an incredibly rude thing to ask? I mean, what if I had asked him the same thing?” She tittered.
“I don’t think he meant anything bad by it,” Chihiro smiled awkwardly as he tried to reassure her. “After all...he sometimes says things without thinking. Anyone else here can confirm. I don’t think he meant anything bad by it,”
“Hm,” Celestia looked away again, boredly twinkling a strand of her hair around on her finger. “I suppose you are correct in that regard. I mean, he also asked Junko-san why she looked different in the magazines, which I found myself agreeing with. Not that she was ugly, but she looked different. Like her face and bust looked different,” She then stared at the bottle of Pepsi in disgust, yanking the top off. “I thought drinks like this are intended to be served cold, not warm,”
“I-I don’t have a minifridge in my room like I do back at home...” He blushed heavily. “Papa set it up for me. I thought I could set one up in here too, but I haven’t really had much of an opportunity to do so,”
Celestia listened as she took a swig of the Pepsi, sputtering and coughing as the drink burned her throat. “I-It burns! It hurts my throat!” She cried out in annoyance, forgetting her composure for once.
Chihiro stifled his laughter as he took a swig. “It’s an acquired taste. I swear, I do nothing but live off soda while I’m in a bout of late-night programming,”
“Well, I strongly dislike the taste of it. I am aware there is nothing else, but still. I vastly prefer the taste of tea, myself. I drink a lot of it while I gamble. It makes me seem sophisticated, does it not?” She smiled sweetly at him, and he found himself nodding in agreement. He had never been one for tea, but....
The two were silent as they finished eating their snacks, Celestia standing up and throwing their trash away as she tried the door once more with a dainty huff. “Still locked...oh dear. I am not in the mood to get in trouble for this tomorrow,”
“Um...g-get in trouble how?” Chihiro blinked a bit as he adjusted his position on the bed.
“I believe it is against the rules for a boy and girl to share a room,”
His heart dropped to his knees.
“I hope you do not take me for a fool. That tool-kit and blue bed...not to mention how you relieved yourself earlier. I am a very observant person,” She walked over to him and bent over to stare into his eyes. “So, do tell me. Why are you dressed like that when you are clearly a male?”
“Um...um...” Chihiro trembled and looked away from the judgement in her glare. If he told her, he’d have no guarantee she wouldn’t just tell everyone in the morning. Then again, she already knew, didn’t she? So she could still tell on him, no matter what. He took a deep breath.
“I dress like this because...when I was younger, everyone would pick on me for being weak and sickly. I couldn’t fight or stand up for myself. So...I started dressing like this because girls aren’t made fun of for being weak. It just became a habit,” He swallowed after he poured it all out, finally daring to look at her. She had looked away and was playing with her hair again. “P-Please don’t tell anyone else!”
“Oh, how mean. You truly think I am that cruel? Telling everyone your secret really does not benefit me at all in the slightest. If things grow dire for me, I shall take it to my grave,” Her eyes had a different expression in them, he noticed. Somehow, they seemed...softer.
“T-Tell me yours to make it fair. Surely you’re hiding something,” He coaxed, which made her give him a sweet smile.
“Oh? And what if I am hiding nothing and have been entirely honest with you since the very start? I am hurt by the fact you claim me to be a liar,” She covered her mouth daintily.
Chihiro believed everyone had something to hide, but decided against telling her that. It wasn’t that big of a deal to him anymore. And besides, it wasn’t like the next murder motive was going to be ‘kill someone or I leak your secrets’!
“Well, now that you know, does that make everything about me...different? Like...am I cuter?” He placed his fingers in front of his mouth in a thoughtful expression.
“Hm. Well, you still have very little fashion sense,” She tilted her head as she smiled sweetly.
“Most guys do...” He admitted.
“In my book, being male is absolutely not an excuse. My future husband will have to be extremely fashionable and wear Victorian suits. He shall be my eternal protector and knight in my castle. Hence why he must be perfect,”
“O-Oh...” Chihiro balked a bit. Celestia’s future husband certainly had a lot to live up to, and a part of him was already feeling sorry for whoever it ended up being. If he ever got married, he would just want her to be kind and forgiving of his many flaws. That was all he wanted. “It’s getting late,” He announced lamely, heading over to his bed and starting to unbutton his jacket before he froze a bit. “Um..w-would you like to change in the bathroom maybe...?” He motioned to it. Surely Celestia wasn’t thinking about sleeping in her usual outfit?
“Thank you,” She smiled and went inside, gently shutting the door. Chihiro smiled to himself as he quickly got undressed, tossing his ball of clothes into one corner of the room as he stood there in a white tank top and underwear. He then crawled into his bed, suddenly feeling chilly.
Celestia arrived a few minutes later, wearing a very lacy set of black underwear. Her hair was still up...why didn’t she want to take it down?
“Move over, if you would please. I prefer to sleep on the left side,” She asked, yanking the covers off Chihiro.
“A-Ah! Okay..!” He blushed heavily and scooted over as Celestia got in, turning her back to him. “I-I really don’t think there’s much room for us though-“
“You know, if you changed your hair, bathed some, and wore mens’ clothing, I would find you to be quite cute,” She giggled a bit.
“R-Really?” He asked in disbelief. She smelled even better then she did earlier; expensive perfume mixed in with chocolate and Pepsi. It didn’t seem like it could smell good at all, but it did to him. Her actual body though....her breasts were smaller than he expected. Practically non-existent.
“You know, they might think the two of us did something together,” Celestia mused as Chihiro finished making himself comfortable. He blushed. “I bet that fool Hifumi most of all. He probably will go on and on about it tomorrow morning about how an act of girls’ love happened right under his nose and he missed it,”
“I highly doubt anyone will...see you leaving my room,” He said quietly. “Besides...we can just show everyone the handcuffs and explain. They’d understand...I hope,” He moved closer to her and gasped as his hand accidentally got tangled in the huge loops of her pigtail and blushed, trying to get it out. “Whoops..!”
He yanked his hand out roughly and took the pigtail with it, revealing its fakeness. Celestia gasped in anger as her hands both flew up to cover the exposed area, glaring at him.
“I-I’m so sorry! I’m sorry! I-I didn’t know, I had no idea..!”
“How could you?! You ruined my hair!” She cried, still glaring at him. “Do you have any idea how long it takes me to do every morning? How long it takes me to do my makeup? To put on that whole ensemble?” Her voice was shaky. “A-And to think...someone like you can just throw on whatever, and everyone says you look pretty...! Nobody understands or appreciates how much time and effort I put into looking like this...nobody..!”
Chihiro watched her for a while, wondering what she would do. Was she going to cry? Hit him?
Eventually, she ripped off the other pigtail and tossed it aside onto the floor, a hollow look in her eyes. She glanced over at the desk where Chihiro kept his snacks, and he took the hint and offered her another Ding-Dong.
“....Taeko Yasuhiro,” She gasped as she started eating. Her voice was barely above a whisper and sounded strained. Chihiro remained silent, awaiting the rest. “That is my true name. That is my secret. I keep using it because I am afraid of people thinking I am plain. All I have ever been, was poor, and plain, and useless. So, I lie to everyone. Something I am sure you are familiar with,”
Chihiro nodded, surprised she was still using the accent. Instead of bothering her about it though, he just laid back down in bed, covering himself up.
“Now we both know each other’s secrets. You have to promise me to take mine to the grave with you,” She rolled over in bed closer to him. He nodded.
“I swear...same with you,” He hoped the swearing wouldn’t be literal. He didn’t want to die in a place like this.
“You have my word,” They both turned to each other and squeezed each other’s hands briefly before turning back around.
Chihiro has felt as though Celestia has let more of her true self show around him that night. True, he only got to see it because she was locked in, but...a part of him wanted to believe she would stay and willingly spend time with him regardless.
In the morning, she was gone, without any trace of her left. Chihiro hurriedly dressed in his usual outfit and met up with her at breakfast, sitting alone as she usually did. He braved a smile at her and blushed when she returned it.
Perhaps being stuck in a room for an entire night changed the both of them in unseeable ways. He liked to think so. Maybe she would actually take his advice to heed. He started to take his usual seat at the table when Celestia stopped him, motioning him over to her table.
“You’re here early,” Chihiro lowered himself into the seat across from her shyly. Somehow, after her acting the previous night, talking to her felt strange.
“Yes. Did you ever get your computer back?” She questioned softly.
“No...I still don’t even know who did it,” He sighed. All of that work was just gone...
“Indeed, such a shame indeed. All of that hard work is just wasted. Not to mention, the first time the programmer gets their hands on an electronic, and they are punished for it,” She played with her hair in a bored fashion. “A pity,”
“Alright! I did it. I confess!” Ishimaru suddenly stood up, slamming his hands down on the table. Everyone looked at him in surprise. “I stole your computer! Yamada-kun told me he’d let me see what was on it if I tied you two up and took photos!” He looked ready to burst into tears. “Please forgive my actions!”
“What the fuck, man? Why would you do something like that to two innocent chicks? They did nothin’ to you,” Mondo demanded.
“Yeah, at least untie them first..?” Aoi suggested.
“Where’s the laptop then?” Chihiro asked curiously as Ishimaru dashed from the room, returning with the green computer. He bowed in front of him.
“Please forgive me dearly! I was not thinking rationally, and my actions prevented you from enjoying your time here!” He carried on.
“I don’t think anyone really is,” Kyoko sighed.
Chihiro nodded in acknowledgement as he held the laptop close to his body. He didn’t even feel like getting something to eat. Celestia had already ordered Hifumi to bring her something, waving her hand at him dismissively.
"See? He has a good heart too," He couldn't help but to whisper to himself, thinking Celestia hadn't even heard him.
He felt like he knew everything about her, yet nothing at all at the same time. It was fascinating to him how similar they both were; they both were terrified of their true selves and hid away using fake versions of themselves. Celestia was confident enough to own it, he felt, while he just felt even worse dressing as a girl.
“Here you go, Madame Fujisaki!” Hifumi’s voice reaches his ears, and he blushed as he was brought out of his thoughts.
“H-Huh?” In front of him was a blue bottle of Pepsi with a plate of scrambled eggs.
“Mistress Celestia requested for me to make you something too...I hope it’s to your liking!” He all but drooled. Chihiro’s eyes widened.
“It’s...!”
“That awful carbonated drink you had last night,” Celestia finished for him, grimacing a bit. “You seem awfully fond of it, however,”
“I swear I’m addicted,” He popped off the cap and took several giant swigs, stifling his burp with his jacket sleeve. Celestia found herself trying to stifle her own giggles with her hand.
The next time he returned to his dorm, he found a picture sitting by the laptop along with a note written fancifully.
Ishimaru has promised me personally that he won’t be bothering us anymore. A bit of a shame, really. I quite enjoyed the genuine honesty of your company.
The picture featured a small girl wearing a baggy purple sweatshirt coated in tacky glitter with black leggings and a matching purple headband in her short black hair. She looked annoyed while her two parents smiled beside her happily. The mother was visibly pregnant.
Chihiro smiled a bit at the picture. Celestia-Taeko looked adorable. He hid the picture in one of his desk drawers.
####
Chihiro winced a bit as he read the secret spelled out so mockingly on that sheet of paper.
Despite being a man, Chihiro dresses like a woman!
Still, what did he have to lose if anyone else learned? Celestia knew, and she had kept her oath thus far. He felt as though he could trust anyone. He folded up the paper neatly and stuffed it into his skirt pocket, looking over at Celestia, who looked slightly distressed.
“Um...are you alright?” He slowly reached out for her. She jumped a bit as she ripped her paper up into tiny pieces, hiding them in her blouse pocket.
“I am perfectly alright. It would be silly for me to lose my composure over something like this,” She smiled sweetly. She was lying.
“It was your name, wasn’t it?” He whispered to her. She responded by roughly shoving him aside and storming out of the gym. “To the grave,” He repeated again to himself.
###
That night, Celestia found a picture of a shy-looking boy in a sailor dress, posed next to an equally shy-looking father on her desk. Beside it were two more Ding-Dongs, a sight she hesitated to turn her nose up at. She had to return them to him. The picture at least. It wasn’t hers to take.
“Open up,” She ordered, ringing his doorbell numerous times before she stomped her foot. It was past nighttime; so was he just asleep?
No. She had an idea of where he was.
Gathering herself up, she headed towards the warehouse, peeking inside and noticing a small shadow darting around near the back. She smirked to herself as she slid inside, closing the door with her foot. The shadow glanced up in alarm.
“My, where are you going this late at night? It’s past curfew, you know,” The smirk only grew as she walked over to him slowly, hands crossed over her chest. “Judging by that blue tracksuit in your duffel bag, I assume you are going to...work out?”
Chihiro quickly stuffed the sleeve into the bag and tried to take off, only freezing when he felt Celestia’s hand on his shoulder.
“Here. You will need energy,” She handed him one of the wrapped Ding-Dongs, and he took it gratefully, giving her a smile as he unwrapped his and took a big bite. She ate hers as well, keeping an eye on him.
“Thanks!” He wiped his mouth off carelessly and tried to take off yet again, blushing heavily when Celestia grabbed his chin and pulled him close. “Celestia-san...I...I really have to get going...I’m meeting someone,”
“Are you? A friend of yours?” She purred. “Then allow me to give you a charm for good luck,” She planted a deep kiss on his lips, making his eyes widen in surprise. She ran her hand down his back, caressing his tiny waist. How did a programmer remain so lithe? She could taste those stupid chocolate cupcakes on his lips too, heavy with cream. They were fattening and disgusting.
Why did they taste so good to her?
She finally pulled away, a long line of spit attached to them. Chihiro had a dazed look in his eyes. “You were right. Everyone has a bit of kindness in them,” She waved him off, attempting to act bored.
She ached to kiss him again; why? He was everything she despised in a man, worst of all he hid it. No matter, she supposed. Tomorrow morning, she could just kiss him again.
####
“Did you know Chihiro-san’s secret before us?” Makoto asked carefully after the trial.
“No, not at all. Why would I?” The lie slipped easily from her tongue like soap would in water. A day ago, she ached and craved. Now, she just felt hollow.
He was just a stupid programmer.
####
“See? He has a kind heart too!”
She turned the key to Alter-Ego’s locker around in her hands, an empty feeling in her heart. She missed his Ding-Dongs, strangely enough. There weren’t any in the school kitchen, and the one time she mustered the courage to break into his room and look, they were all gone. All of his snacks were.
“Every human has a drop of evil in them,”
She slipped the key into her pocket and walked out of the bathhouse.
In her experience, everyone was evil. Including her. Chihiro was far too kind to admit it, letting that thought process literally kill him. He was a fool, and she detested fools.
Yet her heart still felt empty. She smiled to herself as she watched her classmates flutter around in a panic, trying to solve her crime.
Everyone had kindness in them at one point. She hadn’t felt a single drop of kindness in her since the day they found Chihiro dead.
####
She calmly folded her hands in front of herself, wanting to look graceful and pious. It didn’t matter what she thought of herself in the end, all that mattered were the thoughts of her classmates. She wanted them to see her in a graceful and elegant light, so unlike her own life. Chihiro died in a humiliating way. She would not let that be her.
....
In that brief second before the truck hit her, she reached her hand out toward the sky in front of her, and she could’ve sworn she felt someone grab onto it tightly. Knowing she was likely delirious from the smoke, she grabbed the hand back, wincing as everything turned dark.
####
When she awoke, she was seated on a grand red throne in a spectacular golden ball room. It was empty. She mused to herself as she sat up further.
She was dead, and clearly her own personal after-life was a castle. How utterly ironic. She got the castle she wanted, but only in death.
But was it truly just her in the castle, alone with no servants? She couldn’t bare that thought. Just as she straightened up in her seat with the intention to explore further, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“I brought you your Pepsi, Your Majesty,” Bent at the waist with a tray holding a tea cup filled with Pepsi, wearing a black and red lacy butler outfit that resembled a mesh between a suit and gown both, complete with a rose headpiece, was him.
Tears had never flown from her eyes faster than they did then, and for once, all composure was lost as she tackled him to the floor in a tight embrace.
“You're here...in my afterlife...!” She gasped in disbelief. The Pepsi had been spilled on the floor, forgotten. Chihiro nodded at her.
“I’m glad for it. Lots of time to spend together,” He stood up and gently offered his hand to her. ”After I clean that mess up...where to?”
She smiled a warm smile for the first time in her life. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Another kiss.
“Anywhere. Anywhere at all,”
The kindness in her heart had finally been returned to her.