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"Thank you for letting me stay past closing time.” Ochako thanked the librarian. The woman responded with a curt nod before dismissing herself from the room. The librarian had allowed her to book a room at the last minute. This was something that she had thanked the woman endlessly for. Perhaps why she left was to escape the endless bouts of gratitude and apologies for the welcomed intrusion.
That had been a quarter of an hour ago. One more hour left, then Ochako would be free from her perpetual boredom. Or better yet just go straight to sleep when she returned to her room. Her mind and eyes ached with efforts to stay awake yet no drinks were allowed in the library so she could not bring a coffee with her to motivate her. Staying at home, though, would have led her to get distracted.
Nose buried in a book, Ochako had no conception of time or what was going on around her. It was, in all likelihood, for that reason that she did not sense the person who entered the room after her. Ochako's seat was jerked back out which caused her to gasp. Her instincts were just enough to slam a hand on the table to keep herself from faceplanting against the table.
A hand gripped her shoulder. It felt like a small hand, probably no larger than Ochako's. Yet the person's grip was unyielding. Ochako turned to look and found herself greeted by catlike eyes. Of course, she knew who this person was, they had met before: Toga.
“You—” Ochako started.
“Shh… We’re in the library.” Toga's finger pressed against her lips to silence her. She sat down, thigh pressing against Ochako’s. "Don't cause a scene."
Perspiration wetted Ochako's face. Something pressed against her side—a knife. The chill of the steel contrasted the warmth ascertained by her sweater. Ochako's eyes shifted around, contemplating what to do in a situation like this.
"If you move even a little bit, I'll stab you." Toga's voice was soft in Ochako's ear. "This is one of your vital points, Ochako. If I were to stab you now, there would be no saving you."
As if to demonstrate, Toga gently circled that area with the fingertips of her free hand. The sensation was oddly pleasant... Ochako felt goosebumps along her skin stemming from the unexpected touch. Her voice was hoarse when she asked: "What do you want from me? Why are you here?"
Toga let out a soft whine as she rested her head against Ochako's shoulders. "Because I missed you. I love you, you know?"
The gentle coo led warmth to blossom in Ochako’s cheeks. No one other than her parents had ever told her that they loved her. Though something about the way she said it, betrayed that she did not mean it in a sisterly manner. Ochako swallowed and her brows furrowed as she looked down at her.
"...That's hard to believe, when you're threatening me like this." Ochako did not raise her voice, but her words were firm.
Toga pouted. Petulant. "You don't believe me when I say I love you, do you? But I do." Toga sighed, twirling her finger against Ochako's waist, underneath her clothes. "I wonder if you would still look at me like that, if you understood."
After a pause, Ochako questioned: "Are you going to kill me?"
Toga paused too. Considering it, perhaps, unless she were questioning whether to answer truthfully or not. "No, not tonight. I don't want to kill you right now. So... keep reading, I want to know... what you're reading. I want to read with you."
Ochako's brows furrowed. Why? she wondered. "I'm busy."
Toga hummed. Her eyes lit up as she let out her next bizarre proposition: "Then it's a study date!"
Huh? Ochako's thought must have matched her expression. Toga chuckled then rested her face against Ochako's shoulder.
"Pretend that I am just a regular girl from your class," Toga said in a voice that was uncharacteristically soft. Almost pleading. "That we're studying for an exam together. Like we're best friends."
"I can't do that while you are holding me at knifepoint."
Toga hmphed. It seemed even she understood something as simple as that. "Promise you won't away?"
Ochako paused. Then, deciding to indulge her, said: "I won't, as long as you don't distract me from my studies."
Toga inclined her head. Her eyes flickered over Ochako's expression and gait. "You're a strange one, aren't you, Ochako? Even with me here, you just wanna study..."
Ochako's fingers tightened around her pencil. "I do it because I need to, not because I want to."
"Then why do it at all? I don't understand the point of doing things you don't want to do... It's so... boring."
Silence fell over the room. The cold feeling of the blade against Ochako's side dissipated. Taking this as a cue to a silent agreement, Ochako's eyes moved back to her books. There was still a chill down her spine. She could not fully relax. But she had agreed to those conditions. And, even if it were to a villain, she had no intention of breaking a promise that she made to someone.
"You know, Ochako, I usually don't let people boss me around. I always do exactly what I want to do. But I can't get what I want unless I do what you say. It's annoying, but..." Himiko's voice trailed off. Ochako felt her eyes staring at her to no end. Without reason, Toga lifted her hand to Ochako's hair gently, tucking it behind her ear for her. Now exposed, her ears turned pink.
"W-What did... you do that for?" Ochako's eyes widened a little as she asked. Feeling the warmth all across her face. Ochako had been meaning to do that herself. Having someone else do it for her... she felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach.
"Because I wanted to."
Ochako narrowed her eyes. When she opened her mouth to say something, no words seemed to come out. She had no retort for the comment... It was just a very Toga thing to do. Furthermore, her comment was interrupted by the sensation of Toga nuzzling her face deeper into her shoulder.
Ochako kept reading the text in her book. Kept scribbling notes with one hand. Without really thinking she was careful to not use the arm that Himiko was resting on. In doing so, she seemed to subconsciously recognize that it would shatter the illusion of this moment. This bubble of time that felt like it could only exist now. Between the two of them, under these exact circumstances.
So, with her other hand, she awkwardly turned the pages. Using that same hand, she annotated and wrote the notes into her notebook. Once in a while, she peered over without turning her head. Ochako got the sense that Himiko was asleep now. And looking down at her face seemed to prove her right. Himiko's eyes were closed and she had a restful expression. No crazed smile. No puppy dog eyes. Just the expression of someone who was fast asleep. A regular girl, who was slacking off by sleeping on their friend's shoulder. Bored, exhausted even, from a studying or a long day of school.
An alarm went off on Ochako's phone. The ringing shattered the illusion of tranquility that had been cast over the library. Despite how wrong it was, Ochako felt a semblance of disappointment when the weight of Himiko's head lifted from her shoulder.
"What is that ringing sound?" Toga asked tiredly, stretching her arms out and yawning. If Ochako wanted to, she could have easily grabbed her arms and tied them into a knot behind her back. But she didn't.
"My alarm. The library is about to close so we... I have to leave." It felt strange stating 'we' as if they had come there as a group. It was not as though Toga was at all affected by the rules or laws.
"Aww, that's too bad," Toga whined. "I wanted our date to last a little longer. I'll come see you again!"
Ochako was about to retort, argue with her that she should never do something like that again. But, before she could, Toga pressed a disarming kiss against her cheek.
With a mischievous laugh, Toga disappeared through the door. As though she were an apparition that had fulfilled her purpose and could rest in peace at last.
Ochako clicked the Dismiss button on her alarm. Then she sat there for a while longer. Ochako's legs had fallen asleep and her head felt dizzy. If the kiss had been on the lips, perhaps she would fear she had been poisoned. Instead, her physical state was tethered to her internal conflict born out of fear from what had been done to her. Truly, what had been done to her?
Once she gathered her bearings, Ochako finally gathered her stuff. Her face felt exceptionally hot. The feeling urged her to remove her sweater though she realized that doing so would not quell the feeling stirring in her.
As she departed from the library, Ochako decided that she would not tell a soul. No, she would not tell anyone about how a villainess guiltlessly held her at knifepoint, then snuggled up against her like a cat afterwards. And that Ochako let her go with zero consequence for reasons she herself was not ready to put into words.