I turned around to get a better view of the girl who had held me, and she was glaring at me, looking through my soul.

  Her mouth was formed in such a way that it gave an ingrating smile. Her upper lip was thinner than her lower lip, which made for a pronounced curve at one end. Her lips were a rosy color. Her eyelids were set very far apart, so she appeared to have large and bright open eyes that were fixed on me. The upper eyelashes were thick and curved up, but her lower eyelashes were more delicate and finer. The eyelashes framed her scary-looking eyes to give a soft appearance. Her eyebrows were thin and gently arched. Her cheeks were pale, with a pointed chin. Her hair was extremely long and straight. It appeard to come out from under her beanie in smooth waves. The color of her hair was a magenta, and her eyes matched the color of her hair exactly. Her hair was parted naturally and framed her face asymmetrically. She wore a white uniform and a navy blue full-length skirt. A same-colored tie rested flat against her collar. She was also wearing a coat over the entire outfit. Her hands were gloved in blue, and her beanie was blue with a white fuzzy bobble sitting loosely on top of her head, which were probably insulators from the cold.

  Snap! Snap!

  "Hey, idiot, stop glaring at me like that," she said, snapping her fingers at my face with one hand on her hip.

  Tch, was I mesmerized by her? And why is she so familiar?

  "Are you listening, you assh*le?" she said as she looked at my face with a contemplative expression, her face inches away from me.

  Why is she swearing? Why is she close to me?

  My cheeks turned red as I took a step behind, putting some distance between her and me. I took a glance at her figure.

  The uniform, that's the public school's uniform, so she is Siku's schoolmate? No, wait, is she Siku's girlfriend? She is Arna Lund, the girlfriend of Siku and his classmate.

  "Siku, why are you staring at me, you basta*d? say something."

  Oh my god, why did I meet her? What if she finds out I am not the Siku she knows?

  "Are you listening to me?" she frowned, giving me a playful kick.

  Argh, I should say something, otherwise, she might find that i am not siku.

  "Oh, it's you. I thought it was someone else, that's why I was sizing you up."

  Her face momentarily went neutral, and the same old expression came back.

  "Huh? You didn't get to see me for three days, and you started to forget about me already," she sighed.

  "No, it isn't like that, the beanie covered your face."

  "I really fell in love with the wrong guy," she said, sticking her tongue out and pocketing her hands, and she started to walk beside

  Whack!

  I felt a light smack on the back of my head, and Arna said,

  "Do you have some screws loose in your head, Siku? You were walking that way, and now you go the opposite direction."

  I messed up.

  "Haha...accidents."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I walked, and she continued to walk, spilling tea on what happened at school today.

  Is she going to walk with me all the way? Why is she coming with me? Doesn't she have a home to go to? I need to get rid of her. I don't know how long I can maintain this state.

  "By the way, Siku, why didn't you come to school today?"

  What should I lie about?

  "Well, uhm, you know, I had a stomachache, and I woke up late."

  "Hmph, here I thought you would be excited to see me, like a dog waiting, wagging its tail and tongue out drooling for its owner who hasn't been home for days," she pouted, bumping my side.

  I feel bad for Siku.

  "Anyways, are you all fine now?"

  "Give or take, I am fine."

  ~grr~

  "Oh, ignore it; I haven't eaten all day."

  "Huh, you didn't? Are you planning to die, you idiot!?" she exclaimed, raising her hands above her head.

  She is quite the expressive one, isn't she?

  "Well, Mom and Dad aren't home."

  "Then cook something, idiot. You know how to cook, or if you are too lazy to cook, then you could have bought or ordered something and eaten it."

  Ordering food crossed my mind, but what if the food delivery guy turns out to be a killer?

  "My stomach was bad, so I didn't want to risk it."

  "Want to eat something? It's been a long time since we went out. How about having dinner?"

  A date? Am I going on a date? No, this isn't a date. Push the bad thoughts aside, Alyss. This is Siku's girlfriend. You are not going on a date, you just came out to eat, and you bumped into her. That's it.

  I often saw many couples around my school, and Mom would try to keep my gaze away from them. I also wanted a girlfriend for no reason.

  "Where do you want to go, Siku?"

  If I knew that, I would not have gone to loiter around with you.

  "I don't know; why don't you suggest something?"

  "Well, how about we go to Stone & Salt? the cafe run by that bald old guy"

  "Hmm, sure, why not?"

  We continued to walk as Arna gossiped about what happened to school, and she had a small hop in her steps, and we crossed an Altar.

  "Want to make an offering?"

  "For what?"

  "Are you playing dumb? Of course for your stomach ache."

  That was a lie, miss, but I am glad that you are gullible.

  "It's alright, I don't want to," I said, walking away.

  "Nope, we are doing an offering of mend for you," she said, grabbing hold of me.

  "Got twelve Lumes?"

  I tried to search in my coat.

  Dammit, I left Siku's wallet at home. Thank God she came; otherwise, who would pay for a nice meal?

  "Well, uhm, I forgot my wallet at home. Do you have some?" I said, scratching my head sheepishly.

  "You left your wallet at home? then how did you plan to eat out? by begging in the streets? I do admit that's a fun sight I want to see."

  You surely don't mince your words.

  "Be grateful that I am here; otherwise, you would have to wash the dishes in a restaurant," she said as she took her wallet out, tossing me three five-denomination coins.

  "Thank you for your kindness"

  "We are eating in a convenience store, by the way, not a cafe or some sh*t."

  I would like to take my words back.

  "What are you waiting for? Go on, start your offering."

  Isn't she joining? Oh, right, I am right now in the body of an almost adult. No one's going to hold my hands and pray for me like Mom used to do.

  I looked at the sky as the dusk slowly fell.

  Coming to think of it, I never really offered a sacrament of peace for them, have I? I should do that.

  "Mom, Dad, Leo, I know you died, and I did say that I hate you for leaving me here to suffer, but please rest in peace in the lap of the luminaries. I hope to join you soon," I thought solemnly.

  Snap! Snap!

  "Siku! Stop looking at the damn sky, you fu*ker. I will kill you if you keep stalling it, and start your offering already."

  Kill me? If I think about it, this might be the longest I've ever lived without being killed or having an accident.

  "Just give me a moment."

  Should I pray to these luminaries? They didn't even help me once when I was suffering, no Alyss! Remember what Mom said: just because the gods didn't help me one time doesn't mean I should forget all the good things they've done for me.

  Wait, what's the prayer for a sacrament of mend? argh

  "Hurry up, it's getting dark and chilly."

  Guess I will say to the extent of what I remember.

  I closed my eyes and cupped my hands, and I slowly started to part my lips to pray.

  Thwack!

  I felt a sharp sting on my cheek, my eyes fluttering open as my hand instinctively rubbed and held my cheek, and I saw Arna glaring at me with piercing anger in her eyes.

  "Who are you? And why are you impersonating my boyfriend? You fu*king creep, are you possessing his body or impersonating my Siku to take advantage of me, you magg*t? Now stop your cheap acting, and why are you trying to scam me, you son of a bit*h?" she yelled, ready to slap me again.