Chapter Text
...Muah. Mm...
"Nya!"
"K-Kyah! M-Morning, Marota."
I don't want to go to school late, especially on the first day... Zzz...
"Mrow!"
"Uwah!"
...And I think I'm not going to be able to achieve it.
Once I arrived, I got in touch with my longtime friend, Miki. It's kinda nostalgic how we're finally back in the same class after so long. And then came the opening ceremony. Atop the stage, I saw her...
"Waaah..."
The rumored beauty of house Asanagi… Yori Asanagi-senpai.
It’s as if I’ve witnessed the birth of an angel at that moment. Her speech, her style, her gracefulness… It’s all so smooth, unlike me who’s crude, through and through.
…Well, at least Miki’s always by my side.
“Damn, that was a full-day penance… I’m tired, Hima-chan.”
“Me too… Let’s go get something to eat.”
“...Nah, I’m good,” said Miki-chan with a solemn smile. I wanted to push her further, but I guess I’ll leave that to time.
But, when I came to the rooftop to look at the school’s beauty… That’s when I saw her. A songbird, alone in the sunset. Her vocals were insane, and her face was nothing short of beautiful.
“...Screw you and go die!”
The harsh growling gave her a contrast that no one could hope to reach. Despite that, it had already caught me in a haze. I was stunned, astonished that such a woman existed at all. I might’ve fallen in love with her. Genuinely.
“...Wah. Awesome…”
“G-Geh? W-Who are you?!” the woman angrily asked me, who’s still in awe.
“Ah! I’m sorry I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Himari Kino, a freshman! Nice to meet you!”
“...A hannya?”
Hannya. Typically depicted as humans’ emotions in noh plays. A subtype of demons whose presence is believed to bring good luck to where they thread, despite their grim meanings.
My mother was one, actually. That blood eventually passed to me and with my father’s human blood, I’m a half-breed who gets along with almost everyone around me. However, as I’m believed to be a symbol of good luck, sometimes people tried to use me to their benefit.
Keyword tried.
[A/n: Decided that having pure human isn’t gonna cut it like the anthology as I’ll dive into this point later.]
“...Oh, well, sorry I was rude to you. Shiho Izumi, third year. Also a demon as you can see from my horns,” she said, pointing at those pointy points on her head, adorned with a pink bow which makes her even cuter than before now that it caught my eyes. “...Got anything apart from gawking?”
“H-Hyah?! I-I think… I might’ve fallen in love at first sight!”
It was a declaration that made her freeze on the spot.
…As far as I’m aware, I always had my eye for her. One of the things I’m afraid of is that my partner may depart sooner than I will ever do.
However, with her.. This is in reverse. Hannya’s lifespan surpasses us ordinary demons owing to them technically being closer to “death” than us. That doesn’t mean they can’t die, though. While sure, most of us also had our lifespan extended via spells… Hannya, liches and onryō, who are purer by definition, definitely take the cake here. Their blood also trumps humans’ blood as well.
…It’s not like I won’t take replacements… Just that she won’t be my number one for the time being.
…Since I know that girl also had her eyes on someone else and that I can’t force her to like me. However… As I’m the heir of house Izumi - one of the biggest demon houses in Japan… She’ll need to prove herself worthy of being the one I could call a lover.
“...Really?”
“A-Ah, sorry! I must’ve said something outrageous…! Please, forgive me!”
“Don’t be. I don’t mind that at all. Fufu, it means you’re calling me cute, right?”
“G-Gap moe… Mama… I’ve ascended to heaven…”
“Not on my watch, come back!”
“...That was nearly a disaster.”
This freshman… She reminds me of her, yet she’s also different in her own ways… While that love I may not give up on… I might not be able to give this one up as well… Argh, I hate my indecisive self… But, that’s exactly why… I… I also wanted to give it a go.
“But, love at first sight… You’re sure? That’s not a declaration to be taken lightly, you know?”
“Yes?”
“...Kino-san, tell me… What does love mean to you?”
It was a nonsensical question, I thought. At least it was supposed to be.
But, I somehow made her tremble, possibly from fear as I deduced using my power.
Love, let’s talk about love.
I once was naive, saying that I loved everyone without any thoughts whatsoever. That’s what caused my friends to isolate me during last year, something I’m still regretting today.
…I don’t know what feeling is love. Is love for a friend the same as love for someone who’s even above that?
I’m afraid my love for her might not be the same thing as she thought. As I thought about those who I’ve hurt during that time… It pained me so much… I couldn’t face them for the longest time…
I’m glad Miki was always there for me, though. She’s one reliable friend.
“...Sorry, I-I just…”
“Still don’t have an answer?”
“Y-Yes…”
It was a shameful display on my part. I really don’t want to give a half-assed answer lest I hurt her in the process, but I also don’t want to leave her without anything in return for her time. Marota… What’d you do?
“...Then, why not try and find out?”
…Surprisingly, she seems to have a plan of her own.
“Huh?”
“I’m saying… If you don’t know what love is… Why not try it out with me, then?”
“E-EHHHHHH?!”
Pfft. I’d expected this much. After all, I’m cute, right?
…Nah, I know I’m not. Else, I’d have gotten my chances with her. After I saw that darn letter that day… My blood froze. Stayed cold ever since.
Kyou, what’d you do? Will I make the same mistake again? Will I begin to fall in love with her, only for her to fall for someone else?
…Forget it, you’re not here anymore.
“...Mm, I’m saying that… Why not be in a relationship with me so you can know what love is for you? It’s the way most people figure one out for them.”
“Really?!”
“Why would I lie? After all, I believe that everything and everyone who crossed paths with me had their reasons to be here. Some are my friends, some motivate me, and some… might be my fateful ones. Will that one be you? Haha, only one way to find out…”
I was stumped. That idiot Himari… I kept on sending her countless clues that I really, really wanted to be with her. Not just as a friend… But, as her special someone.
…I once asked myself after that breakup… I knew that “feeling” I had wasn’t right. I knew I had to find something to distract, and that’s where I wanted Himari to fill in the void that was left behind.
Before long, it had bloomed into a genuine love, just like that time before… Only this time I’m certain that Himari wouldn’t make me sad like that guy… I know she will make me happy, I’ve revised all my thoughts and realized that I’ve loved her all along.
As I was musing over my bed, suddenly my phone rang. It’s… Himari?
“Yello?”
“H-Hey! Listen, Miki-chan!”
“Yeah, I’m not deaf, go on.”
If it was Himari, I thought it’d still be something silly she found around her.
But, as we’re all “humans”, we’re known to betray others’ expectations.
“I-I got a lover!”
Suddenly, the Earth feels so heavy it could crush me down at that moment.
“...I-I’ll do my best to meet your expectations, Izumi-senpai!”
That’s my answer after her ridiculous question caught me stuck in a dilemma. Even if she wasn’t sure she’d developed feelings towards me and that even if I wasn’t sure my “love at first sight” is the kind of love that’s “romantic” or “platonic” (I can’t separate them, they all felt the same to me), she’s willing to give me a chance. I can’t thank her enough, I really can’t thank her enough.
“...Fufu, that’s what I like to see. Keep up at it, Hima-chan,” she said with a contemplating face, as if to rethink her decision once more. “...But, truth be told… This is my first relationship… How do we, um… How do we do… lover-like things?”
“I-It’s also my first time as well… So, if you don’t mind… Could you play that guitar of yours? I found your performance earlier during the freshmen concert so captivating I could lose my mind!”
“H-Hey… I didn’t use Charm or anything of the sort on it, okay?”
“I know! It’s just a matter of speech.”
Demons are born spellcasters, it’s a well-accepted fact of the land. Truth is, it’s just humans who're the most vulnerable to spells. Say, if I were to be casted Charm on without my demon heritage, I’d most likely be glued to the spellcaster until it ends. But, for elves like Miki-chan, it’d be harder to crack her shell. Demons’ spell effects on other demons are all dependent on the caster’s skills, so if Izumi-senpai’s a great caster, she could charm me like nothing at all. I mean, it’s not like she’d be able to, considering the only place where magic could be safely used (disregarding safe magics like transportation magics) are the dungeons around the world.
“...But, alright. I’ll do it just for you. Which song do you want in particular? I’ve done self-covers and uploaded them on YouTube for extra cash. It’s also pretty fun, too.”
“Rasen? Considering you were singing it before… I’d like to hear you from start to finish!”
“Alright, then… Buckle up!”
If someone looked into her eyes, I’m sure there would be flames shining bright in there. Motivation is an addictive feeling, you know?
After our little song session at the rooftop, we exchanged contacts via Discord as surprisingly, Izumi-senpai doesn’t seem to like the app.
“It’s clunky. Could store big files, though.”
And then, it was time for me to go home.
“I guess I should drop by Miki-chan’s house some time soon…”
It’s just a friendly visit. We used to sleep together all the time, it’s no biggie. The only times where I’ve not been there was due to Miki’s ex taking over, mainly.
Still… She seems to be really clingy lately. It’s not like I was annoyed by it, just that… Something must’ve happened. From my perspective, she’s just the plain ol’ Miki-chan… But, what about her?
“...I think I could smell some water… Better go take a look.”
Since I was a young child, I could detect petrichor at an accuracy of 95%. People said that I have insane affinities with water to the point of impeccable accuracy in detecting water’s “textures” and mixtures in syrups without looking at the seal.
So, in a school where there’s normally no water (save for specific places like pools and ponds that I could also detect), I’d say this one’s a bit of a special case. It felt like the water was mixed with… Oh, I see. Someone’s cleaning the floor nearby, better-
“Kyah!”
Lost in my thoughts, I was caught off-guard by the (still wet) floor. Can you at least put up a sign or something?!
Still, this is no time to complain, I’ll fall on my face first!
“H-Help!”
While I was expecting a bruise, suddenly I was held up in the air and stopped my forward momentum in its tracks.
“Myah!”
“There, there. You’re fine now.”
A tall girl held me by my collar and pulled me backwards, allowing me to get my footing back once again.
“P-Phew…”
“H-Hey, um…” her cheeks seem to be a little bit red, possibly from the running she did in order to catch me in time. “You alright?”
“Y-Yes, I’m fine, thank you!”
“...N-No worries. But, this is your first day, yes? I reckon I’ve not seen you around here at all. Yori Asanagi, third year. Pleased to meet you,” said Asanagi-senpai with a wide, beaming smile.
“Himari Kino, first year. Likewise, also pleased to meet you. I’ll have to hurry back home, so thank you very much!”
“A-oh… I hope we’ll meet again soon.”
And that was the last I heard from her for the day.
Oh no.
Oh no no no…
“Seriously, Mizuguchi… Ditching this without putting up signs?”
“Sorry, okay?! I had a fight for my life earlier.”
“I see…”
Unintentionally, I glared into the distance, despite having no one there.
“...Something happening?” her elf ears shifted up, as if she was interested in the story. Their ears don’t lie, after all.
“...Well, to put it lightly…”
I may have fallen in love at first sight.
“...”
“She’s so tiny, it makes me want to protect her.”
“Ah, I see…” replied Mizuguchi, before she suggested we go home together. “You could come to sleep over, if you’d like.”
“...Thanks, I’ll sleep on it.”
Still, never once has Mizuguchi suggested something like a sleepover this early. Usually, it’d be after we finished fooling around in a shopping mall’s game center or something along the lines.
…I wonder if something’s up.