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She couldn’t tell if it was early or late morning with the curtains shut too closed.
No light seeped in the gaps of that fabric— assuming that it must be incredibly thick that pulling it to the sides would be the only option to tell the current time of the day. Although, that would be unnecessary for her. With her eyes scanning her dim room, she focuses on the clock that ticked quietly against a wall: 6:00.
That is fine, Tairitsu thinks. It’s best that she pull herself together before anything happens that may disrupt her schedule of school and other tasks that may need to be accomplished for the day. Getting up from the bed, the black-haired girl drags herself to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. The sounds of water flow from the sink, as she eventually finishes getting her face cleaned shortly before staring at the mirror with no emotion displayed on her face whatsoever.
How bland of her.
Forget the thoughts of loss and anger, she wouldn’t be having any of it today. She turns herself around to exit the bathroom, turning off the lights. Now she needed to get ready.
A few more minutes passed- maybe somewhere in the numbers of 10 and 12, before sounds of footsteps thumped through the wooden stairs. Dressed in her uniform with a schoolbag to her side, her feet hurriedly walked to the kitchen to pick up the food that she had already prepared hours prior to waking up. As for how many hours that was? You could simply expect she had slept at late hours for … common reasons.
It was going to be another day. It would be absolute for her to get everything done by today. And so, she gets out of her quiet house with no rush, her feet taking her to the school grounds that she had always attended to everyday.
The walk was short— albeit it felt like hours would be in the passing while her head was preoccupied with other matters: Homeworks due soon, a meeting to attend for later, and projects that will require bigger progress by today. It seemed like a library for her, books sorted and rearranged properly for easier convenience, bringing the mix of acting as her backup planner.
If anything was wrong, the girl always had a Plan B and C to carry to make sure everything was correct. It was the only way she was gonna get through with her everyday life.
What she hadn’t accounted for, was of swirling tales and stories that she often refused to believe in.
“Wait, seriously…? In a mirror?”
Tairitsu had found herself on the school grounds no sooner than later, and these were the words she had heard while a pair of students passed by her in idle chat toward each other.
“Well, you know how weird things are recently. I thought it was just bogus, but damn— it’s actually real.”
“I wonder if we’ll meet our soulmate from a mirror as well.”
“Oh, no. I’d rather meet them face-to-face first, I don’t wanna say goodbye to my reflection!”
Soulmates. It was a rather odd term for her.
Of course, there was the accounting knowledge that everyone else knew: At some point in your life, there would be a chance to meet your soulmate. Someone that you will spend the rest of your life with, whether or not it requires to be something romantic, they would be a company that you’d forever stay with.
Forever . “Dislike” would be an understatement as to how much she hated it. Why would anything be forever for someone like her? Her entire life was filled with nothing but loss, grief and misery. And when she tried to stand up and move on from it, it was a mere hope spot that crushed any remaining light or joy in her life, forever leeching to her as a shadow of the past.
A past that she would be forever cursed to remember, even in the depths of her nightmares and thoughts.
And now, in the present, her mind feels nothing but anger. However, she had expectations to keep if she needed to continue on with life. A facade, if that it is what is called by peers and people around her. Well… that, Tairitsu was skilled enough to play as the fool, offering too much of herself towards others— her kindness was expected to be taken advantage of, and indeed it was like a fiddle.
But the water on her dam broke when at some point, she had just completely snapped to a group of students in her class. Her timing was no better; a teacher was there to see her break down into an angry dishevelled mess, shortly before being taken into the nurse’s office to examine her mental condition.
Ever since then, she has been an alien. No one would dare to approach her, except for schoolworks that needed to be done. And did she care? No. Of course she didn’t, as the girl in conflict has learned to no longer give any form of trust to anyone but herself.
That included the tales of eternity; soulmates being a real concept. Mayhaps the people in her vicinity were lucky enough to find the one they loved before their death— and Tairitsu was damned sure to herself that it would not work out for her the same way everyone else did. She’ll live a dull, empty life as she grows into adulthood in the real world, certain that she will eventually wither and pass from overworking.
There was no genuine reason for her to keep going, her anger being the only remaining factor to her even living in the first place. What kind of person will survive with that much weight on their back? How would you even live?
Yet of course, there is no answer that comes.
And she affirmed to herself that there would never be one.
“...”
Everything had passed by quickly in a flash.
Before her mind had processed any and all of the events that transpired during the day, the sunset was already nearing to settle down and enter night. She supposes that she’s bound to be late going home this time. However, there is no reason for her to rush in such a hurry and leave like someone is getting late for any occasion that they have to necessarily attend.
On another note, she should do her homework as soon as she gets back…
No one looks for her. That itself is enough reason for her to return back to her house. When she packs up her bag and gazes at the window, her composure is disrupted by the faint reflection on the other end.
Glass windows were no mirrors, that she knew. However, anyone would also understand that one could still see a portion of their reflection, imitating any movement and emotion that the person in question can do. It is faint, but you stare at it long enough and you start to recognize it later on in the long run.
So when she glances at the glass, and what stares back at her isn’t a pair of blue- cold eyes, but a vague noticeable pair of red-amber ones… Tairitsu almost enters a state of shock.
Yet, that click never reaches her mind as she shook her head, staring at the glass again. This time, nothing else of particular oddity comes out. Dratted eyesight.
… She must be hallucinating from all the exhaustion. She is not having it today.
With night falling at 7, the clouds moved slowly to the north. The skies twinkled with stars across, and the roads bustled with noise and lights no matter where the girl in black would go.
It was a good thing that today’s weather wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t sunny, nor was it rainy. Maybe “cloudy” was the right term to describe the circumstance.
Tairitsu continued walking down, careful to not miss a step as she now reached the stairs. She would’ve considered walking the other way around so as to not use any remaining energy she had left to continue on her footsteps; yet time mattered more than herself. The other route was more lengthy, and more time-consuming. She wouldn’t have that.
So she took the risk of walking down that steep path— clackle, clackle.
However, the end of her shoe slips to a tile in the stairs.
“Shoot—”
She almost misses a step, but she grips on the railing tight enough to ensure she doesn’t fall any further. Curses on her feet, she’ll have to be more careful next time. After making sure that she has not dropped of anything importance, that’s when she continued to walk to her house.
Eventually, she stops at a certain house. The black paint of the door contrasted the doors of her neighboring houses. Some gave a light white color, others either had brown… or whichever color suited their comfort to fit with the themes of the other parts of her home. It was said that the more colors to match, the better vibe it displayed to anyone who would pass by at, like a first impression being brought on even before meeting its residents.
Unfortunately, Tairitsu had no close neighbors. There won’t be anyone in the future either, as she has never bothered to socialize with most of the people in the town that she lived in. Like it ever mattered, when no one had the desire to talk with her, either.
The keys fitted through, and the doorknob was opened as she stepped to the house.
“I’m home.”
No one responds.
She doesn’t care, really.
Dinner… no. She wasn’t hungry, nor was she in the mood to eat anything. Her mind decides to focus on washing her lunchbox in the kitchen’s sink instead, and plan for what to do tomorrow. Thankfully, there were no classes on her schedule for the next day which would give her ample time to use the day to grab some groceries. However, she had also considered checking the bookstore once again on the other side of the town.
The ones with the stops, eateries and malls for others to have fun. Tairitsu wasn’t really into… outgoing activities, as she’d put it. Most of her hobbies and interests, she’d kept it to herself. No one knew she was the kind of person to be into elegant dresses or outfits, nor did anyone see her enjoy reading books of different genres.
All that, she kept to herself.
Rearranging the cupboards and plates, she puts on the recently wiped lunchbox and places it on the top. That should be enough to keep it still to gradually dry.
Tairitsu removes her apron, setting it in the corner before grabbing her bag to walk upstairs into her bedroom- only to immediately place the bag in the corner next to her desk to head to the bathroom. She doesn’t forget to grab a towel with her on the way.
However, when that door closes, she isn’t met with a bland, empty reflection of herself.
There is something horribly wrong; and maybe, just maybe she should’ve realized it hours ago even before heading back here, to her very house. One that had no guests, nor any relatives that resided in it, with silence being her only company to get through her day, just like any other.
She was supposed to be the only person living here. And yet, this was not the case.
What stood in the mirror was not her, but another person that she had never seen in her life, nor anywhere else that she had known of. A girl with a pair of brown—— no, red eyes stared back her own blue ones. And yet, her face held no sense of malice or threat.
But that didn’t matter, because Tairitsu herself felt an emotion welling up in her chest. It was hurting her. She immediately stormed out, slamming the door as she refused to face that girl. She couldn’t believe it.
It had to be a joke. It must be her mind playing games on her.
And yet, even as she knelt down, leaning on the door’s frame to catch herself a breath, she could no longer forget what that girl looked like.
Her clothing consisted of a white uniform with a pink sleeveless V-neck vext; there was a red ribbon on her uniform, and a red-yellow cap on her head, with a blue diamond gem on the side, making the perfect simple fit to present herself in front of the girl in black.
But what really stood out to Tairitsu was neither of those assortments of clothing and accessories. See, if anything, clothing details were the least of her priorities when meeting with a stranger. Surely, this was no exception.
In fact, it was those deep red eyes, and that silky smooth white hair that reached waist-length.
And it is only now that Tairitsu’s realized that she has seen an elegant, beautiful woman in the mirror. How…
How utterly—
"Hello?"
Tairitsu almost freezes, before returning to caution. Her eyes scan her room in a flash, as if desperate to look for the source of that sound. Surely, it must be in her head.
“I’m over here. Can you look to your north?”
Surely, it was a joke.
“There. Now you can see me, right?”
It wasn’t.
It wasn’t.
It wasn't.
The girl held her breath, staring at the reflection in front of her… which was a short distance away; she had forgotten the tall mirror was placed just next to her bed. And 7 steps were enough to lead you to the bathroom.
For a long time, she lived in refusal. It was not that she denied the idea of soulmates being a real concept. After all, why would she deny something that happens daily right in front of her? It would be just simply living in denial. That, she can tolerate as long as no one bothered to brag about their soulmate in front of her face like a moron asking for a problem to start with her.
What she could not accept was that a person replacing your reflection meant that they had passed. That they had died, and instead of being sent into some afterlife- they were instead stuck with their soulmate by replacing their reflection with themselves. It was like being forced to leech on to some random person, and they could not do anything about it.
Then again, there were very small moments where she saw people talking to reflections- not of their own, but of others. And yet… she must’ve been so focused in her dull, monotonic life that she had never processed the reality that it was true.
And now she is in the present, having no choice but to face her soulmate.
Her soulmate, who is dead.
Her empty life had cursed her with this unexpected moment.
“You— you are real.”
“Of course I am? Why do you say that?”
The other girl replies in such an innocent and joyful manner. Was she naive? Or was this just generally her normal disposition when interacting towards other people?
As if Tairitsu will ask that question to her. She doesn’t ask.
“No, it’s nothing. So you truly are dead?”
She crosses her arms with a raised eyebrow, before shooting back to the black-haired girl. What kind of person just casually asks another if they’re dead or not? It was right in front of her.
“I am. You don’t seem to believe it.”
“There is no way you would have…”
Her voice stops. Perhaps continuing to speak of the latter would anger the girl in white, judging by the frustrated expression on her face. Did they even have a choice in the first place?
No, they never had one.
If she keeps staying here, then they will go nowhere. And if she indulges herself in talking with the girl too much, then there won’t be any end to the conversation, either. She needed a balance to find, and she needed that balance now.
She’ll just have to work through it by herself.
Tairitsu sighs, getting up from the floor to walk toward. She watches the reflection stand up as well, yet it never walks, only to stay and watch her. When she finally faces the mirror upfront, both girls notice their identical height. The girl in white snorts, causing the girl in black to raise her eyebrow in confusion.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing, nothing. I didn’t realize we had a similar height until now. Although, maybe I should’ve known— I was staring at you earlier, after all.”
Then what transpired in the classroom from earlier was…
“...You did not even say anything?”
“You looked unsettled when you noticed me, so I’m sorry… I didn’t want to scare you.”
Well, that made sense. The other girl puts her arms behind her back as she hummed to herself, before speaking again. Tairitsu feels like her personal time will now be constantly interrupted thanks to this girl’s happy disposition. Whatever one usually calls it. She doesn’t expect anything good to happen.
She watches her offer her hand, only to retract quickly at the realization of being unable to come in contact with Tairitsu’s own hand.
“Oh, sorry! I forgot I can’t actually hold your hand…”
She rubs the back of her head, laughing sheepishly. Although, that seems to be the least of Tairitsu’s worries. She opens her mouth.
“It’s fine. Well, since we’ll be stuck for eternity as long as I live, we may as well have our introductions. My name is Tairitsu.”
The other girl smiles, taking note of her name to remember. She adjusts her cap, coughing slightly to adjust her voice- which now that Tairitsu realized, her chords sounded a little strained when she first talked to her. In the back of the girl’s mind, it somewhat wonders why that seemed to be the case. Perhaps her throat was just dry?
Did reflections even need to eat? What about drinking? Or any other basic act that everyone else would usually do? And lastly, what would the reflection’s world be like on the other side of that mirror?
She is unable to make up an answer, and if she had to be honest… she wasn't in the mood to ask the other girl right now. After all, introductions were important and necessary first. As far as she can remember, first impressions of a person usually give an idea about how they would act in the future, the more you interact with them later in the long run.
“That’s a nice name. My name is Hikari! Nice to meet you, Tai. I hope we can get along, hehe.”
“Tai?”
Hikari only sweatdropped, before laughing nervously to respond to her slight confusion over the nickname. “Was it too much?”
… It wasn’t that it was too much. She just never really expected the girl to be casual and open with her already. Even if they were soulmates, they were also strangers. They didn’t even know each other’s interests, hobbies, or activities. Nothing of the kind. But still… why?
Why was she overly kind?
It almost left a pang in her heart; but she needed to answer Hikari’s question. She’ll just have to be honest, no?
“... No, not really.”
Was that better?
“Ahh, that’s a relief… But really, tell me if you don’t feel comfortable with the nickname. I don’t want to go into your boundaries too much— we just met, after all.”
That seemed to be the case. Tairitsu almost lets out a sigh, one of relief most likely. Hikari smiles at her, noticing her exhaustion. Well, it would be bad to let her stay up after such a tiring day, right? She should suggest to her to go to sleep then.
“You look tired, Tai-chan. Why don’t you sleep early?”
“I have some homework to do…”
“Is the deadline needed by tomorrow?”
“Not… really It’s by Wednesday.”
The girl in white huffs, putting her arms on her waist as she now seemed … angry at her. But why the angry expression? It was only homework. She can finish it in time before the clock strikes at midni—
“Then take the time to sleep early. I’m not telling you this again…”
Oh, fine. If that’s what she wants…
Tairitsu groans, but she can tell this girl isn’t going to shut up anytime soon if she wouldn’t listen to her this instant. To be fair, this can just be a one-time thing, right? Then it should be no problem.
Turning around, she is quick to return back to the bathroom with the lights flipped on. She glares at the bathroom mirror, seeing Hikari taking off her cap.
“You better not peek at me while I shower.”
“I won’t, I won’t. I’ll hide away somewhere so that I don’t have to look.”
She walks to her left, and she’s gone. Tairitsu doesn’t know where the girl went to, but it’s the least of her caring. As long as she’s not there to peek on her, then there is no problem.
Pulling the shower curtains to the side, she enters the bath before shortly covering herself with the curtains.
Tairitsu’s shower was quick. She comes out of the bathroom, newly dressed in sleeping clothes. Hikari comes out of the tall mirror in her bedroom, eyes sparking a little.
“Oh, you look cute.”
“You don’t change your clothes?”
A nervous laugh.
“I wish I could.”
How disgusting. Then again, Hikari is merely a reflection now. So is hygiene a necessity when you’re just living in a mirror? Is being a reflection even considered living, when you are dead?
Getting to the bed, she closes the curtains, before putting down a square-sized mirror. It was enough for Hikari’s head to come out as her headwear was no longer to be seen. Just where do these reflections put their things? Eventually, Tairitsu lays down, hovering the blanket over up until her chest and stares at the ceiling. In truth, she can’t seem to drift her eyes off to sleep.
Just as when she was sure she wouldn’t fall asleep, she could hear that familiar sound from her left. Moving only her eyes, she sees Hikari humming a tune. It sounded like there was a certain melody to it, her mind unable to help but listen to the humming almost in a trance.
It stops. Tairitsu raises an eyebrow, and the girl speaks.
“You do know I’m humming so that you can fall asleep, right?”
“Ahh, is that so? I couldn’t help but listen in. Your voice is… rather lovely.”
Was that a compliment? If so, Hikari appreciates it wholeheartedly. No one’s ever really complimented on her voice, have they? She can’t seem to remember.
“Thank you, Tai-chan. But really, you should go to sleep.”
“Alright.”
Tairitsu turns her body to the side, closing her eyes.
“Goodnight… Hikari.”
“Goodnight.”
The room felt warm for a moment, before her mind finally slips into slumber. Hikari smiles at the black-haired girl’s sleeping face, before she leaves into the sight of the mirror.
She expected their first meeting to go awry. After all, throughout the whole ordeal, Tairitsu seemed cautious and unsettled about today’s events. Yet, that didn’t seem to entirely be the case, as they managed to introduce themselves to each other. There was no necessity for an argument nor a debate to happen over trivial things.
Hikari was relieved by this. She thought she would have to push Tairitsu a little further to talk with her, even if only for a few minutes.
It was a small progress. But it was worth it, she thinks. If things can continue like this between them, then maybe things will finally get better. Although, she didn’t want to be too expectant, so she could only hope.
… To hope.
She could only hope she can do the same by tomorrow.
“Sleep well, Tairitsu.”